As the Breeze Whispers
by seerstella
Summary: A body found buried in the grounds of a private all-boys school takes Ishikawa and her team back to a suicide case on 2005, which uncovers some more stories. Case fic, crossover between Takumi-kun and Cold Case (Japanese Version). Warnings inside.
1. Prologue

Title: As the Breeze Whispers

Author: Seer M. Anno

Fandom: Cold Case (Japanese Version) x Takumi-kun Series

Genre: AU

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fandom except the story below.

Rating: PG-15

Warnings: Character death(s), slash, possible OOCness, language

Summary: A body found buried in the grounds of a private all-boys school takes Ishikawa and her team back to a suicide case on 2005, which uncovers some more stories.

A/N: Case fic, with crossover between Cold Case and Takumi-kun Series. I just found out that Cold Case has a Japanese version! Wheee! So instead in Philly, this one is located in Yokohama. Please note that I know almost nothing about places in Japan, but I'll try. I just wanna get this outta my head. Title's a remake(?) from the first film.

Anyways, enjoy! ^_^

* * *

 **As the Breeze Whispers**

 **Cold Case (Japanese Version) x Takumi-kun Series**

 **Seer M. Anno**

* * *

 _PROLOGUE_

* * *

June 3, 2005

 **(Opening Song: 'Dark Horse' by 1st Season Higa from Musical Prince of Tennis)**

Shidou Academy, a prestigious all-boys high school, was beaming. It was the Founders' Day, on which there were no lessons. In exchange, classes were expected to make some sort of entertainment, like cafés, shops, haunted houses, and of course, spectacles. Even so, not all spectacles went smoothly.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Snickers were heard in the background. "Nobody's kidding you, Takabayashi. Can you just stop shouting?"

"Shut up!" The boy resumed his shrieking. He looked around at the boys surrounding him. "Who the hell told me Yoshizawa's playing? I want him here and take responsibility!"

Before Takabayashi was a sheepish boy, a year his junior. He scratched his head, messing his neatly combed brown hair. He looked dashing in his fancy suit belonged to his role, but his blush defied the charming part. "I'm sorry, Takabayashi-senpai. The sports division makes us do this. I thought you've known I'm playing The Prince."

Takabayashi put his hands on his hips, trying to look threatening. With the dress he was wearing, it was obviously futile. "Shingyouji, you better get outta here before I hit the roof. And I mean it. Now, scram."

More snickering from the boys around them.

"Shut up!"

Shingyouji scrambled away, scared of his senior's threat. One of the boys stepped forward.

"Takabayashi, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not, Nozaki-senpai." Takabayashi combed his shoulder-length dark hair with his fingers; a gesture he always did when he was downright frustrated. With that kind of hair and the dress, he looked so much like the Sleeping Beauty he was going to play tonight.

Nozaki grinned. "Damn straight. We're not."

"Shut up, senpai."

"We're doing this, Takabayashi. I thought you're the one saying you want to see Yoshizawa."

"I mean he's playing with me! Not… watching me from the audience seat! Fuck you! You were the one who tricked me! You said Yoshizawa'll play on the D-Day, and where the hell is he now, huh?!"

It was obvious that Nozaki was trying not to laugh, but quickly composed himself. "You practiced with Shingyouji-kun all this time, why don't you think about it a little?"

Takabayashi was going to answer, but suddenly the door was opened. A boy, wearing Shidou's well-known blue blazer, was standing there with an impatient expression on his face. "Takabayashi, someone wants to see you."

After sparing a glare at Nozaki and the others, Takabayashi rushed out the backstage, his dress waving gracefully as he moved. "Lead the way, Akaike. I don't want to waste any more time in that shithole," he said gruffly to the messenger. "You know what? How am I supposed to let some shrimp kiss me? Even on stage? Ew!"

"You're in the drama club, Takabayashi," Akaike commented dryly. "It's just acting, and it's not like you haven't done this before."

Takabayashi spluttered. "Well, Gii's a great kisser, but that's not the point here! I don't care! Those guys lied to me, and there's no way I'm playing! And not to mention the drama club! They didn't even tell me anything! Why, am I being too annoying or something so they want to see me embarrassing myself on stage for the whole world to see?"

Akaike only rolled his eyes and continued walking. He brought Takabayashi to a secluded part of the school, where someone was waiting. Correction, _three_ someones. A boy his age was standing there, with a little girl on his left and a little boy on his right.

The school prince's previously annoyed expression changed when he saw them. "Yoshizawa! You're here!"

"We want to watch you play, Izumi-chan," the girl replied, with a huge smile on her face. "You're so beautiful today! I really, really love Sleeping Beauty! I know you can play her the best!"

Takabayashi smiled and patted her head. Her sincerity had to be appreciated, to say the least. "Thank you so much, Miya. Your presence will make this whole ordeal more bearable." He turned to the little boy. "Hello, Mio. How're you doing?"

Mio only grunted and hid himself behind Yoshizawa's legs. Knowing it was a losing battle, Takabayashi sighed and looked up. "Hi."

Yoshizawa was beaming at him. "Hi, Izumi."

"You're not wearing your uniform," Takabayashi commented. Behind him, he swore he could hear Akaike's snort.

"Izumi, _please_." Yoshizawa sighed. "Let's not do this here, okay?"

"Fine."

"I'm watching you play, so do your best."

"You're not playing," Takabayashi complained petulantly. "I thought you would."

Yoshizawa patted his shoulder. "You know it's for the best. The sports division needs money, and what's better than a play, made for public audience? Besides, the drama club agrees to this, and thought Shingyouji is a better actor than me."

"If you're playing, you're staying."

"Izumi, _please_ ," Yoshizawa repeated, more desperately this time.

"Whatever."

"C'mere."

Takabayashi reluctantly stepped into Yoshizawa's embrace. It was warm, and if Akaike and Yoshizawa's little siblings commented at the display of affection, Takabayashi didn't care. "I wish you're not so… selfless, Yoshizawa," he whispered.

Yoshizawa chuckled. "I'll try, Izumi. But do your best, okay? For my sake?"

Takabayashi snorted, but tightened his arms.

* * *

Rain was falling. It was nighttime, a few hours after the events were closed.

Shidou Academy was empty. The Founders' Day had come to an end, and the students had already gone home. All of them were exhausted, yet satisfied, after the day was over. It was a long one, but the shows and the cafés and the shops held by the boys had paid off well.

But it wasn't an ordinary nighttime.

In a certain part of the grounds, the one hidden by a lot of trees, a noose was tied on a strong branch. Someone was hanged there, the slender body dangling slowly with the wind. The lightning flashed, and Takabayashi's lifeless face was shown, with his long hair covering most of it. His eyes were closed and his blue dress, worn in the play as the Sleeping Beauty, was drenched by the rain.

On the first Friday of June 2005, it was still raining.

A week afterwards, a police officer filed a report. Izumi Takabayashi, aged seventeen, committed suicide by hanging himself in the grounds of Shidou Academy. She stashed it inside a yellow folder and wrote _TAKABAYASHI, I. (SUICIDE)_ on the corner. She was going to put it inside a drawer marked as Special Assignments 2005 when her colleague stopped her. Her colleague was holding a brown folder and she let him put it inside after Takabayashi's case folder.

She closed the metal drawer with a click.

* * *

August 9, 2016

Detective Yuri Ishikawa walked briskly into the crime scene, which was a field with tall trees surrounding it. She saw a small crowd and made her way towards them, lifting the police yellow ribbon to get through. Her partner, Detective Shinjiro Takagi, was there, staring seriously at a hole and the skeleton laying inside it.

"What do we have here?" Ishikawa asked.

"As you can see." Takagi shrugged and gestured to the hole. "This place belongs to Shidou Academy. They want to build an outdoor pool here, and they found this when they were doing some digging."

"Shidou? The private school?" Ishikawa looked around in understanding. No wonder this place was so… well taken care of. She spotted the grey stone building, a few meters away, before turning back at the bones on the ground. "Must be a shock, finding a body in this place. Any idea who this might be?"

Their forensic expert looked up from the place she was crouched on. "Hey, Cap. Got something here. Male, most probably a teenager. Buried for maybe… a decade or so."

"That can be anyone," Takagi remarked. "Shidou's an all-boys school. Most probably a student we're having here."

"Wonder what makes him end up in this place."

Takagi flipped some pages on his notebook, and then gazed at their forensic expert. "How old is the body, you said?"

The woman shrugged. "Around a decade. Ten to fifteen years. Why?"

"No, it's just… I remember hearing about the Shidou Lady around this place. A ghost story."

That perked Ishikawa's interest. "Ghost?"

"Yeah. That's why they stay away from this place for years. They said there's a lady in blue dress haunting the grounds. In fact, it was someone who committed suicide around here in 2005… or 2006." Takagi turned to his partner. "Do you think they're connected?"

Ishikawa shrugged and glanced at the bones. "That's what we need to find out."

* * *

A/N: How's that for a beginning? I'm so sorry, Takabayashi, I still like you… to some extent XD

I once read that Yoshizawa has two little siblings, so here they are. They aren't twins, despite the similar name. For this fic, I'm mostly using the casts from the 1st film. So, hi, Yasuka Saito, really love your hair here :D He's also the reason why I'm using Higa's song on the opening.

Hope you enjoyed your read! Reviews are much appreciated ^^


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: sd4ianto, I agree with you. Takabayashi isn't a really likeable character, isn't he?

Anyways, here's the next chapter. Guess whose thesis is finally done and awaiting revision? XD

* * *

 _CHAPTER ONE_

* * *

"Izumi Takabayashi. Seventeen years old. Committed suicide by hanging in the grounds of Shidou Academy on Friday, June 3, 2005. He was found wearing a dress."

"A dress?" Takagi tilted his head at his partner, who continued reading. "That explains the Lady part."

"He was playing a princess earlier that day, in a show. Ah, here." Ishikawa pointed at a certain paragraph on the page. "Sleeping Beauty. The dress was how the cops back then determined the day of death. After the show was done, he went missing. Nobody knew where he went, and assumed that he'd gone home. His body was found two days later, because people rarely visited that part of the school. Person who found the body was Giichi Saki, one of his classmates. Should start from him."

"Any suicide note?"

"No, nothing." Ishikawa looked up at Takagi. "What about the body we found?"

It was Takagi's turn to explain. "No Missing Person report from Shidou's students on 2005 to 2006. So, it must've been a stranger buried there. Face reconstruction photos have been put to circulation, maybe we'll get lucky?"

Ishikawa shrugged. "Let's hope."

* * *

It was easy to find Giichi Saki, nicknamed Gii by almost everyone. Being an heir of a successful company made him noticeable enough. When Detectives Tooru Kaneko and Daisuke Tachikawa found him in his residence, he was in the middle of a lunch with a group of important people. Gii's expression was marred with worry after he spotted them, and he stood, thanking his secretary for relying the Tachikawa's message.

"Hello, Detectives. Come with me, please."

He brought the detectives into his private study. Kaneko looked around and saw a picture of the younger Gii in Shidou's blue blazer, posing in front of a dashing black car. Gii's arm was circling another boy's shoulder, and the words _Gii and Takumi_ were written on the corner of the photo. The other picture of them in Shidou uniform was one next to the photo of Gii and Takumi. It was a group photo, consisted of six people, also in Shidou uniform. Just like the first one, their names— _Akaike, Toshihisa, Shingyouji, Misu, Gii, and Takumi_ —were written underneath.

"Please sit down." Gii broke the silence. "What can I do for you?"

"We're here to ask about Izumi Takabayashi. He used to be your classmate." Tachikawa opened the conversation. "Remember him?"

"Of course. Tragic, what happened."

"You were the one who found the body, Saki. Were you close to him?"

Gii shook his head. "It was pure luck that I found him."

"Why's that?"

"June 3 was on Friday. No class on that day, and nobody goes to school on weekends. Students couldn't go to that area either. There was a private dorm for the teachers nearby, for the ones who lived too far from the school. Students aren't allowed to go there unless they have a teacher's permission."

"What were you doing on Sunday?"

"The principal wanted to see me, talking about classes for the next semester." He snickered. "He had that kind of habit, calling students in the weekends. Real annoying. Speaking of that dorm, I once saw Takabayashi there too, actually."

* * *

 _Gii hated being in the teachers' headquarters, even after his job was done. As the class president, he had to go there every once in a while, but this still wasn't his favorite place. Especially in times like this, where all he wanted was to watch Takumi practicing the violin in his house and having a sleepover together._

 _"Damn it! Why do I have to do this, anyway?!"_

 _The words cut off his train of thoughts. Gii sighed, knowing very well who was cursing on the corridors. Takabayashi was making a ruckus, again. And why's he here, he wasn't even part of the class reps…_

 _He could see Takabayashi walking away from him, but he wasn't accompanied by his lackeys. What an unusual sight to see him alone like that. Takabayashi was rubbing his arm, and Gii wondered if he'd accidentally hit himself. He watched as the beautiful boy stopped in front of a door and lifted his hand as if wanted to knock._

 _Gii turned his back and left the dorm._

* * *

"Whose room that was?"

Gii looked confused. "I don't remember. His drama teacher, probably. He was in the drama club, after all. It confused me that he also came on a weekend. Maybe he had rehearsals that day, but I don't know. Never asked."

"Did you say lackeys?" Kaneko inquired. "Takabayashi had followers?"

"Just like me. Those first-years were just unbearable. Besides, he was one of the most beautiful guys at school. Well, too beautiful for his own good."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't want to speak ill of the dead but if you ask me, he flirted with everything that moves." Gii paused. "I always have the feeling that he was more than he looked like, but I haven't had the chance to know him well enough."

Kaneko was going to ask something else, but the ringing of his phone interrupted him. He stood and left his partner with the young man, who leaned forward on his desk and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What's going on? It's not usual for me to be interrogated by cops, especially about an old school friend."

Tachikawa snorted. "You're not being interrogated, Saki."

"Why are you here?"

He shrugged. Somehow, telling Gii about the body they just found didn't feel right. "Just wanted to look more into Takabayashi's death. Maybe there's something else in it."

Gii didn't look convinced, but Kaneko's return saved Tachikawa. He nudged him to stand and nodded at the young man. "Thanks for your time."

"Okay."

When they were on their way back to the PD, Kaneko filled him in. "Captain just called. About that face reconstruction photos, we got a hit."

* * *

'The hit' Kaneko had mentioned was actually a twenty-three year old woman. She had short hair and dark eyes and was obviously a university student, judging from the books she was carrying in her hands and backpack. Ishikawa was the one who welcomed her, and now they were in an empty office, staring at the face reconstruction photo of the body they'd recently found.

"You said you know him, Sakamoto-san?" Ishikawa asked.

"Yeah. I… I think I do."

"Where did you see this face reconstruction photo?"

"Someone posted it online on a true crime blog. I saw it when I was doing some research for my assignment," she replied. She bit her lip and dug through her backpack. "Here. I want to show you this."

Ishikawa took the photo from her hand and examined it. It was an old photo, consisted of three people, a smiling teenager and two kids—a girl and a boy. The kids were hugging his legs and laughing. She compared the teenage boy picture to the one reconstructed from the skull. "Pretty close match. Who's he?"

The young woman smiled sadly. "It's my brother, Michio."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I guess I hang around true crime blogs a bit too often. Sometimes they do post face reconstruction pics for missing person and/or found bodies.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Have time to publish something, so here it goes…

* * *

 _CHAPTER TWO_

* * *

The young woman was born with the name Miya Yoshizawa, and, according to her, it was possible that her older brother was buried in the grounds of Shidou Academy. She tried to compose herself after Ishikawa said the photo was a close match to the picture, but she couldn't help but to let tears stream out her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She fumbled into her backpack and picked some tissues.

"It's fine," Ishikawa soothed. "Take your time."

"So… I spent a year in foster care before a nice family took me in. I was thirteen when they adopted me. They're wonderful. I have to admit I was lucky, because usually teenagers don't have that much chance."

"What do you remember about your brother?"

"Nii-san was… nice. He was trying so hard to be the best for us. Our parents died in a plane crash but he didn't want to give us up so we stick together. I thought… he left us behind because he couldn't stand us."

"What makes you think so?"

She sighed. "We… me and Mio-chan, we weren't the world's best siblings."

* * *

 _"Ssh, Mio-chan, I wanna watch Izumi-chan!"_

 _Mio-chan was sobbing on his seat. "I wanna go home!"_

 _Miya smacked her little brother's back, which sent him to a crying jag. Nii-san looked at his surroundings, his face reddening. They were in the school auditorium right now, watching Izumi-chan performing as the Sleeping Beauty. She was Miya's favorite Disney Princess, thus Mio-chan's wailing was ruining the moment. "Be quiet, Mio-chan!"_

 _"I don't wanna! I wanna go home!"_

 _"Shush, Mio-chan!" Miya was half-shouting now, too. "I wanna see Izumi-chan and the Prince!"_

 _"Nooooo! The Prince is mine! I don't wanna see Izumi!"_

 _Apparently it was enough for Nii-san, for he stood, grabbed Miya's hand, picked Mio-chan, and left the auditorium with apologies streaming from his lips._

* * *

"He'd been talking about that play for weeks, and he couldn't even see the half of it. But still. Even after we ruined everything, he wasn't angry at us. That's why I think… he left us because we'd made him reach his boiling point."

"Miya-san, you said you were watching Takabayashi performing?"

"Yeah. It was the Founders' Day of Shidou. No classes, just some bazaars and performances. There were cafés too, where we can buy food and drinks. Nii-san always brought me and Mio-chan there since he was a freshman."

"So he _was_ a student."

She nodded, smiling tearfully. "But… after our parents died he stopped going to school. It took me a while to realize that he'd dropped out. Started to work in a restaurant at noon and got night shifts in a convenience store. He earned quite enough because we always had everything we wanted. He'd done… so much for us."

Ishikawa nodded. "What about Mio? You two got adopted together?"

Her expression changed, into something unreadable. "Oh, no. I tried so hard to, but… he didn't want it. Threw a lot of tantrums whenever I tried to do that, scared the potential parents away. He was adopted a few months after I did, but never tries to keep in touch. I just think he's taking it real hard and wants to forget. And if being separated is the best way, so be it."

"You two were young."

"Twelve and ten years old were young now, but not _then_." She closed her eyes. "We understand enough, I guess. Can you… find him?"

"We'll try. If this is really your older brother, Mio'll have to know too. We need to take DNA sample from you, to see if it matches our John Doe."

"Sure." She paused. "If you see Mio-chan, can you tell him that I miss him?"

"Of course, Miya-san."

* * *

It was in a car store that Tachikawa found the youngest Yoshizawa child. The showroom itself wasn't crowded, but there were some mechanics on the back, chatting and dealing with the clients' cars. There were some people who were washing the car as well. The detective asked for Mio, and was led towards a white car which was being washed by a trainee. According to the person who brought him in, Mio was a part-timer while studying architecture in a university nearby.

"Mio Yoshizawa?" Tachikawa called at a young man who was scrubbing the window. He turned, and he was no longer a chubby boy in the photo. He'd grown to a slender young man with big, solemn eyes, hidden behind black-framed glasses. His hair was brown and cut short, messy from the work he was doing. What Tachikawa could notice immediately was that he didn't make any eye contact. This boy always looked past his shoulder or at the floor.

"I don't go with that name anymore. Who are you?"

"Tachikawa, from the PD. What's with 'I don't go with that name anymore'?"

"I'm Mio Aizawa right now," he replied. "Got that from adoption. Haven't heard my birth name in years."

"You'll hear it more in this past few days," Tachikawa blurted out. "We just found your brother."

Mio's expression stayed the same, and he didn't say anything.

"You don't seem surprised."

"I guess not." He shrugged. "I bet he doesn't want to see me."

"I don't know. It's not like we can ask him that. We found him seven feet underneath Shidou Academy, just so you know." Tachikawa knew he shouldn't have said that, but he couldn't help it. The possibility of Michio Yoshizawa being buried there and the way his little brother reacted to the news was infuriating the detective.

Mio blinked, obviously taken aback. "Oh." It was all he could manage.

"What do you remember about him?"

"He… was never there for me. Maybe it was our age difference that made it hard, I don't know. Looking back, I realize that he was trying to make ends meet. Pay the bills and our needs. But back then, I never thought that way. I always felt he loved my sister more and that I can never get to his good side."

"Why's that?"

"Because Miya, I mean Nee-san… likes Izumi, and Nii-san was head over heels with that guy."

* * *

 **(Song: 'Willy Wonka Song' from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)**

 _The toy store wasn't crowded, and it never was. That was why Mio loved this place the most; because he could stare and touch the toys freely without anyone reprimanding him. Well, as long as he didn't break any of it. The toy store had the most wonderful toys he'd ever seen. Before his parents died, they always brought him here and got him almost every toy he wanted. He was looking around when his eyes caught a flashy red plane sitting on the shelf._

 _"Nii-san! Nii-san!"_

 _His older brother stopped walking when Mio grabbed his hand. "What is it, Mio-chan?"_

 _"Can I have that?" Mio pointed at the toy. Nee-san rushed and stood next to him, looking at the plane with wide eyes. "I want that!"_

 _"That's so cool, Mio-chan!" She turned to Nii-san as well. "Nii-san, can we buy that? I don't like planes, but it looks really nice!"_

 _Nii-san glanced at the price tag and smiled mildly. Mio knew it was a no. "Mio-chan, I'll get it for your tenth birthday, how does it sound?"_

 _Mio didn't like how it sounded. "My birthday is in June!" he protested._

 _"A lot can happen in three months, Mio-chan," Nii-san replied. He knelt so he was Mio's height, and pinched his nose lovingly. "Who knows, maybe you can have it sooner than that? A surprise means a lot, right? You just have to be patient."_

 _It was a logical explanation, for a nine year old. So Mio found himself nodding and was going to speak when Nee-san's shout was heard._

 _"Izumi-chaaaaan!"_

 _Mio watched as Izumi caught the running Nee-san in a tight hug. "You're getting bigger, Miya. I can't carry you around anymore."_

 _Nee-san pouted. What she said afterwards annoyed Mio. "You should carry Mio-chan. He'll love it if you spin him around. Shingyouji-san always does that. He wants to be a flyer!"_

 _"A flyer? You mean a pamphlet?" Izumi teased, releasing the girl._

 _The only Yoshizawa girl frowned at her mistake. "No! I mean a pilot! Mio-chan wants to be a pilot when he's older!"_

 _"I see! Let's wait until he can fly his own plane, shall we?" Izumi laughed out loud. He looked around and it was when he noticed Mio standing next to his older brother. "Hello there, Mio. How are you?"_

 _Mio only shrugged and looked back at the flashy plane. That way, he missed Izumi's grin and the tickle attack that followed. He bent down the floor, screaming and laughing as he begged the teenager to stop._

 _"Take that, little brat!" Izumi exclaimed as he continued to tickle the miserable boy. His older siblings laughed behind them. It was a while after that he stopped his tickling, and Mio tried his best to sit up, totally lost his breath. Nee-san ran towards her older brother. "Nii-san! Are you going out again with Izumi-chan?"_

 _Nii-san smiled. "Yes. Izumi and I need to go somewhere tonight."_

 _Mio didn't like that, so he protested. "But, Nii-san, you promised you'll help me with my homework today! I can't do it alone!"_

 _Nii-san's smile was wiped out in an instant. He knelt before Mio, staring deeply at him. "I'm so sorry, Mio-chan. I'll help you next time, okay?" When Mio didn't answer, he continued. "Look, I'll ask the Prince to help you. Won't that be fun? So at least you can get your homework done and then you can play with him."_

 _The little boy was close to crying. When Nii-san tried to circle his arm around his shoulder, he shrugged it off and ran towards the front door._

* * *

"I'm not proud of how spoiled I was back then, but that was how it went."

"I see. So your brother and Takabayashi were dating?"

Mio nodded. "I didn't know that word when I was ten, but I think they were. He sure took a lot of Nii-san's time. And then his friends would come and babysit us while they were gone."

"Including this Prince. Who's that guy?"

"His name is Shingyouji-san. Can't remember his first name… it's kinda complicated. Kane… something. If I'm not wrong, he was Nii-san's junior. He played the Prince alongside Izumi, which is why we called him that. I remember him rehearsing while babysitting us… he always did that until the performance."

"Were you close to him?" Tachikawa remembered Miya's story, and he knew he had to ask this boy.

Another nod. "In fact, I was closer to him than to my own brother."

"Alright. Thanks for your time, Mio."

When Tachikawa was leaving the room, he turned and saw the young man leaning against the car he'd been washing, took off his glasses, and covered his face with his hands. No expert was needed to see that he was trembling.

* * *

A/N: The name Aizawa and the plane reference are taken from the film Bokutachi no Kougen Hotel.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: For sd4ianto, really? For me it's the total opposite. I watched TKS first then found Kougen. It's a nice film indeed, with the same director as the Takumi-kun series, too. No wonder Dai and Mao looked like they're reprising their roles there :D

Anyway, here's the next chapter. Featuring a couple we always like (or not? XD). Enjoy, readers!

* * *

 _CHAPTER THREE_

* * *

Kanemitsu Shingyouji, the boy who played the Prince the day Izumi Takabayashi killed himself, was all smiles when Takagi appeared in the restaurant he owned. Unlike the picture in Gii's study, he was now wearing glasses, which made him look more mature. However, the happy-go-lucky attitude disappeared when the detective flashed his badge, and a frown appeared on his brow when Takabayashi was mentioned.

"It's been a while since I heard his name."

"You were his junior, but do you know him personally?"

Shingyouji chuckled. "No. I wasn't close to him and had no intention to. He was too… stuck-up in my opinion. Always acted as if he owned the place. He might be one of the beautiful boys in the school, but his colorful words were scary. I don't want to tarnish the name of a dead guy, but he wasn't the best person to hang out with. We once starred together in a play, and it was hell, for lack of better word."

"Seems like a great guy," Takagi commented sarcastically. "Was there someone who's strong enough to stay by his side?"

Shingyouji answered with a name Takagi had wanted to hear. "A _senpai_ called Yoshizawa. Michio Yoshizawa, if I'm not mistaken."

"Were you close to him? This Yoshizawa fellow, I mean."

"Not really. But he was close to one of my seniors, which made me come over with him to his house sometimes. I like his little brother."

"Mio?"

"Yeah. Kinda reminds me to myself when I was his age. What a shy kiddo he was, but it was always fun to play with him when you were close. He was such an addict for planes, I remember how his brother made him paper planes and bought him some toys."

"I see. Where's your senior now?"

"He's studying in America, to be a surgeon. We lost contact after he left." He paused. "What's all this about?"

Takagi ignored him. "Do you have any idea why Takabayashi killed himself? Any gossips you found?"

"It was told that he committed suicide because he can't stand being talked about and called names. All of us got some kind of lecture and a lot of seminars about the danger of verbal abuse for a few months, telling that we shouldn't have verbally bullied him like that."

"He was talked about behind his back, huh."

Shingyouji shrugged. "Forgive me for the strong word, but… Izumi Takabayashi was Shidou Academy's notorious slut back then."

* * *

 _"How does it feel to kiss the school slut, Shingyouji?"_

 _Shingyouji turned red in an instant. "Shut up," he complained, throwing himself onto the couch. The lounge, a place where the students could hang out in their spare time, was almost empty. "It wasn't like I asked for it in the first place."_

 _His classmate snickered. "Do you know he has something going on with Nozaki-senpai? Saw them together when I was going to class. Isn't he supposed to be with Yoshizawa-senpai? Poor him, ending up together with the school whore."_

 _Shingyouji was going to say something, but someone appeared behind his classmate's back, shutting him up completely. He watched as the newcomer grabbed his classmate's head and said in a low voice, "Is it good to badmouth your_ senpai _like that?"_

 _"I-I'm s-sorry!"_

 _"Just get away from here before I take actions," the newcomer hissed. "You'll regret it."_

 _"Alright, Misu-senpai!" With that, Shingyouji's classmate was gone._

 _"Arata-san, please stop sneaking out behind people like that. It's scary," Shingyouji commented once they were left alone. "I've been looking for you, but couldn't find you in the student council room. Where were you?"_

 _"Shut up, pet."_

 _"C'mon, Arata-saaaaan…"_

 _Arata-san ruffled Shingyouji's brown hair, making him protest even more. The younger of the two hurriedly fixed his hair with his fingers, even though he was secretly glad at the gesture. Arata-san wasn't touchy-feely, so Shingyouji cherished every moment when he did. "Arata-san, can I ask you something?"_

 _A grunt was his answer. Shingyouji took it as a yes. "How can Yoshizawa-senpai cope with someone like that?"_

 _"That's none of our business, Shingyouji." Even as he said that, it was obvious that Arata-san was trying not to smile. "Even though he's insufferable, he's still beautiful, right?"_

 _"It's his saving grace, Arata-san. The rehearsal's always been hell because he can't stop pissing everybody around. He really gets into our nerves."_

 _"Just remember that you're doing it for the sports division, Shingyouji," Arata-san replied curtly. "All of you need the money."_

 _"But it really makes me wonder, Arata-san. Yoshizawa-senpai must've been a very strong person. I never see him angry at Takabayashi-senpai ever since they're dating."_

 _"Yoshizawa can never be angry to save his life. But you're right, I also wonder why… especially after Takabayashi pulled such a stunt towards Saki."_

 _Shingyouji's eyes widened. "What did he do?"_

* * *

"What did he do?" Takagi repeated Shingyouji's question in the past.

Shingyouji took a deep breath. "He… attacked Hayama-san, Saki-senpai's boyfriend. It was obvious that he liked Saki-senpai, but it was one-sided. I also heard that it was how Takabayashi and Yoshizawa-senpai got together and how Takabayashi lost his followers."

"He lost his followers?"

"Yeah. His fan club dissolved after he dated Yoshizawa-senpai. I think it's good because Takabayashi was someone who's good to look at, not to be close with. With that kind of person Takabayashi was, I'm glad those guys backed off."

"Do you think any of his followers held any grudge towards Yoshizawa?" Takagi theorized. "After all, he took Takabayashi for himself."

"I don't think so. Yoshizawa-senpai was so nice… I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt him. Not even Takabayashi's followers, because they respected him too. Some of them were Yoshizawa-senpai's juniors in the archery club or in the sports division."

"You mentioned about the money and sports division… what's that?"

"I was in the kendo club, under the sports division. The day Takabayashi killed himself, he was playing the Sleeping Beauty to help us gain money for the new sports center. It was a charity stage play for public, so we asked the drama club for help. He wanted Yoshizawa-senpai to be the Prince, but he refused. So we tricked him to the plan, because he was the best person to play such a role. It was hell, but well… we managed."

"Why did Yoshizawa refuse?"

Shingyouji blinked a few times. "It's because he was going to leave the school but didn't want to tell Takabayashi about it. He really loves Takabayashi, you know, and I'm still wondering why those two ended up together."

"When did Takabayashi finally know he was expelled?"

"I don't really remember… but it was around a month before the performance. That guy really hit the roof and was going to leave the play altogether. We needed three days to get him back to the rehearsals, by saying that Yoshizawa would be playing on the D-Day."

"Which he didn't."

Shingyouji took a deep breath. "Indeed."

* * *

"Alright. So what we got about this case?" Motoki asked when the squad had already gathered in the office.

"Got this from the Special Assignments 2005." Tachikawa waved a folder. "Missing Person file under the name Michio Yoshizawa, reported on June 5, 2005."

"It's two days after Takabayashi killed himself," Takagi interrupted. "The day he was found."

Tachikawa glared at him and the youngest detective quieted instantly. "Indeed," he continued. "Yoshizawa, who had no immediate family, decided to take care of his little siblings, Miya and Mio, both twelve and ten years old. On the day he disappeared, he told his little sister Miya that he was going to go somewhere but didn't return until the next day. He was last seen in a pub."

"A pub?"

"Yes. What's the name… Russian Roulette. Yeah. That one. A few kilometers from his apartment."

"He certainly didn't look like a clubbing type," Motoki commented, staring at Yoshizawa's picture.

"Looks can be deceiving, Vice," Ishikawa added. "Who last saw him?"

Tachikawa read the file on his hand. "A bouncer there… Masaya Nakamura. Said that he bought a drink and then left."

"We can start from him."

"Got it."

It was when Tachikawa and Motoki had departed that Kaneko looked up from Takabayashi's pictures. "What about Takabayashi?" he asked from his seat.

Ishikawa turned at him in confusion. "What is it, Neko-san?"

"Aren't we going to investigate his death too?"

"His case's closed and we ask about him just to see the relation between him and Yoshizawa. Now that he was known to be Yoshizawa's boyfriend, we can stop there."

"No, I don't think we can't. Here, I just noticed something." He shoved the crime scene pictures taken when Takabayashi's body was still hanging on the tree. "Look. The tree is too tall for someone who can't climb, and there was no chair or something near him."

Takagi picked the photos. "Maybe he _did_ climb, Neko-san." He trailed off. "But you have a point there… the dress was clean."

"Right. If he tried to climb, the dress must've been torn, at least a bit." Kaneko pulled out the picture of Takabayashi's body in the morgue, zooming to his feet. "And there were no marks on his feet, meaning he didn't even walk to his death. His body was as flawless as his dress. Anything else you notice, Takagi?"

"Oh. Look at this." Takagi, who was still staring at a picture of Takabayashi's face, suddenly spoke. "There's a bruise forming on his right eye. Maybe he was beaten right before he died? The bruise didn't have time to form even when he was found."

"Are you saying that he was murdered, Neko-san? Takagi?" Ishikawa asked in disbelief, staring back and forth at her colleagues. "Someone killed him and made it a look like a suicide?"

Kaneko sighed. "It's just a possibility that we can't ignore."

* * *

A/N: Yay for Shingyouji and Misu! Misu here is just a cameo, but let's see what I have in store for him.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: For sd4ianto, who doesn't love the kiss in _Pure_? I like it better than GiiTaku ones, tbh, because Misu never holds back. Oh well.

Here's the next chapter! Guess who's here (with some kind of longer hair)? My headcanon tends to go everywhere it likes :D

Enjoy!

* * *

 _CHAPTER FOUR_

* * *

Masaya Nakamura, an unusually tall man, was still working in the pub when Tachikawa and Motoki appeared in his workplace. He looked confused when they introduced themselves as detectives from the prefectural police department, but not surprised.

"I receive police visits for breakfast," he said gruffly. "Whatever. What's it?"

"Know this guy?" Tachikawa gave out Yoshizawa's picture. "Ever seen him around?"

Masaya frowned. "I guess…"

"Here's something to refresh your memory," Motoki replied. "He disappeared in 2005, and you were the last one who saw him."

Realization dawned on his face. "Ah, that kid! Yes, yes, I remember him now. He's a regular. Yoshizawa-kun, right? Did you find him?"

"We did, Nakamura-san. What do you remember about him?"

"I remember… how desperate he was."

* * *

 **(Song: 'My Humps' by The Black Eyed Peas)**

 _The bar was crowded, as usual. Masaya looked around, hoping that there was nobody who'd make trouble in this place. The dance floor was filled with people, swaying and dancing along with the music. He was doing his usual stroll when he heard someone calling his name. Someone he was familiar with._

 _"Nakamura-san, can you help me? Please?"_

 _Masaya stopped walking and eyed the boy sitting before him. He approached the table, so he could hear him more clearly. "What is it, Yoshizawa-kun? What else do you need? I don't have money."_

 _"I know you don't." Yoshizawa looked down at the drink in his hands. He played with the glass for a while before answering. "Mio's birthday is in three months. I want to buy him something… something nice. Something he likes. And if I can't pay the bills in the end of this month, they'll cut off the electricity. What should I do, Nakamura-san?"_

 _"You know that answer already. If you come to me, you do."_

 _The boy closed his eyes, and still did so when Masaya took a seat next to him. "You asked, I offered. You've been here for weeks, looking for me. What else can I give you? Your pick, Yoshizawa-kun."_

 _A long pause._

 _"I guess… you're right. I have nothing to lose, after all." A small, sad smile crossed Yoshizawa's lips. "Count me in."_

* * *

"What did you offer him?"

"Some fun, if you know what I mean." Masaya shrugged. "The time he stepped in here, I know he's responsible of his own actions. I'm not that stupid. Gave him everything I had, including ones that make people stronger. Well… especially that one. Believe me, he was so happy to get his hands on them."

"Where did he sell them?"

"Beats me. As long as I get my share, I don't care what he did. In fact, I didn't know he was still a student at first. He came here so often for a few drinks, and always looked like the sky had fallen on him. It's no wonder he turned to drugs in return."

Tachikawa eyed him in disgust. "You took advantage of a desperate orphan," he hissed. "Such a great character you have in there."

* * *

"Takumi Hayama-san?"

The man in his late twenties turned from the small orchestra he was practicing with. He looked different from the old photo in Gii's study. His dark hair was now covering his nape, even though still shorter than Takabayashi's. He nodded when he saw Ishikawa's badge and put down his violin before joining her and Takagi in a corner. "That's me. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ishikawa and Takagi from the First Investigative Division," Takagi introduced himself and his partner. "Do you remember Izumi Takabayashi? He used to be your classmate."

"Never forget."

"We heard he… attacked you?" Ishikawa asked carefully.

Takumi took a deep breath. He looked suddenly nervous, and that was understandable. "Which is why I can never forget him."

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Hayama-san."

"No. No, it's fine. It's been a long time. In fact, he pushed Gii and me together, if I want to look at it that way. If I want to be grateful towards what happened, I mean." He paused. "So it started when one of his followers locked me and Gii in the old music hall. After we got out, he tried to attack me with a shard of glass. All because he liked Gii and wanted to get rid of me."

"He didn't, right?"

"He didn't make it, yeah. Yoshizawa stopped him before it went fatal. It was the first time I saw him angry like that, demanding him to apologize to me and such. But after that they got together." Takumi shrugged. "Weird, isn't it? It turns out they've been in love with each other since we were freshmen. Gii and I also helped them to realize how they felt."

"Were you close to any of them?"

"Not really. But even after dating Yoshizawa, Takabayashi still came to Gii for advices."

"And that didn't upset you?"

"I rarely felt upset back then. Still do. Let's say… I'm a bit detached to reality." Takumi looked down. "And… Gii's been in love with me since we were kids, and I know better than to feel jealous towards them. Besides, all Takabayashi talked about was Yoshizawa."

"Do you know if they ever fought or something?"

"They fought quite a lot, but it wasn't a fair fight most of the time. It's mostly Takabayashi being selfish and Yoshizawa listening to his rants before surrendering. But there's one time when he didn't back down to Takabayashi, not at all."

* * *

 _Takumi was walking towards the cafeteria with his best friend, Toshihisa Katakura, when it happened. Toshihisa didn't even realize it, for he was busy talking. It was how their friendship went: Toshihisa filling in the gaps while Takumi being a good listener. Despite having dated Gii, their friendship stayed the way it was, and for that Takumi was forever grateful._

 _"I'm so nervous, Takumi!" Toshihisa exclaimed at some point. "The archery competition is coming, and only I and Yoshizawa are from the second year. How can I win?"_

 _Takumi chuckled. "I'm sure you can do it, Toshihisa."_

 _"I hope so." Toshihisa sighed but then grinned as he walked faster than his friend. "C'mon, Takumi, or they'll eat all those puddings! Gii will kill me if you're late to lunch!"_

 _"I'm right behind you."_

 _They were passing an empty corridor when Takumi heard a voice. He stopped walking and Toshihisa, as he was walking in front of him, continued. He didn't realize that he'd left Takumi as he made his way towards the cafeteria. Takumi himself leaned against the wall and began to eavesdrop. He recognized the voices, which was why he was intrigued._

 _"You can't do this, Yoshizawa! What if the teachers find out?"_

 _It was Takabayashi's, and he sounded mad. Takumi wasn't surprised; Takabayashi was famous for having an emotional range of a teaspoon. What surprised him was actually Yoshizawa's response, and how cold his tone was._

 _"Then I'll get out. Simple as that, Izumi."_

 _"Stupid Michio!" Takabayashi yelled. It was the first time Takumi heard Takabayashi using Yoshizawa's given name. "I know you want to get out, but you have a good chance here! You're one hell of an athlete, and you have brought trophies for Shidou! I'll help you! You don't need to do this!"_

 _"I'm no charity case, Izumi."_

 _"Who says you are, moron? I'm your boyfriend! I'm sure I can help you get through this! So stop doing this shit, will you?"_

 _Yoshizawa was silent for a while. "Izumi, this pays the bills. It's the most important thing. Miya and Mio can't eat from Shidou's victories, you know."_

 _"Damn it, Michio! You're so damn selfless it makes me mad!"_

 _"I'm not, I'm just being realistic."_

 _"Does realistic have anything to do with you… doing this shit?!" Repeated steps made Takumi realize that Takabayashi was pacing back and forth in front of his boyfriend. "I'll make sure you stay, Michio. I'll do whatever it takes. I'll take that shit back from Nozaki-senpai if I have to. You should stay here!"_

 _"Izumi!"_

 _But Takabayashi had rushed away from him, towards the other side of the corridor. Takumi stepped out from his hiding spot and saw Yoshizawa slumped on the floor. He wanted to ask him whether he was okay, but it was obvious that Yoshizawa wanted to be alone. So, he left his classmate alone as he half-ran to the cafeteria. Toshihisa was right; Gii would kill him if he missed his lunch._

* * *

"Who's this Nozaki-senpai?" Takagi was reminded of Gii's and Shingyouji's stories, where they also mentioned this person.

"Daisuke Nozaki," Takumi said the name. "A third year, one of the most popular guys. Captain of the basketball team. He could enter university through that, too. I heard he's coaching the students there since 2013."

"When was this?"

"…I think it was sometime before Yoshizawa dropped out. I don't remember much."

"Last question, Hayama-san," Ishikawa said. "Do you think someone hated any of them so much they… went to the extreme?"

Takumi frowned. "You mean… killing Takabayashi? He killed himself, right?"

"Yes. We're just asking because…" After receiving the nod from Ishikawa, Takagi continued. "There's a possibility that Takabayashi was murdered. The killer made it look like a suicide. We don't want to close up to that."

"Whoa." Takumi fell silent for a while. "A lot of us didn't like him, but I can't think of someone who can do such thing. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Ishikawa stood, followed by her partner. "Thanks for your time, Hayama-san."

* * *

"School reports show that Michio Yoshizawa dropped out on April 30, 2005," Takagi read aloud. It was a few hours after he and Ishikawa met Takumi, and they were now back in the office. "He said that he wanted to work to support his little siblings. He was a model student, scholarship guy, winning archery competitions, second best in class, vice-pres in the sports division… straight-up nerd. So… he didn't sell drugs to the students."

"Or he did, but the school didn't know."

"Yeah. Right." Takagi quieted. "Or the school covered it up."

"That's a possibility."

"Didn't Nakamura say that he sold ones that make people stronger? Do you think… he sold doping or something?"

"Yoshizawa was in the sports division, after all. That makes sense."

Ishikawa nodded and was going to speak when Tachikawa's voice interrupted them. She and Takagi watched as the gruff detective rushed towards them, his hand holding a piece of paper. "What is it?" she asked.

"Just dropping by to relay the news," Tachikawa announced, giving the paper to the female detective who stood closest to him. "DNA test just came out, and it matches Miya's. The boy in the ground is our Michio Yoshizawa."

Takagi took a deep breath. "Confirmed at last."

"Time to break the news to his sister," Ishikawa groaned. "I hate this."

* * *

A/N: Look who's here! Our main character! He's also a cameo in here, tho. The next chapter will have our ol' basketball guy.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: For sd4ianto, yes. That's him: Daisuke Nozaki the basketball guy. He's in the 3rd year, so he's a year older than Takabayashi and his friends, and two years older than Shingyouji.

There you go, dear readers, the next chapter. We still have a long way to go.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _CHAPTER FIVE_

* * *

Daisuke Nozaki didn't change much, and it was easy to recognize him on the school field. Kaneko watched as he was called from the group of teacher he was talking to, and didn't say anything until they were left alone in the empty cafeteria. They took a table in a corner, with Kaneko sitting across the basketball coach.

"I'm sorry, but I have a class to teach in ten minutes," Nozaki finally said after a while of silence. "And I'm a very punctual person."

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick. Remember any of them?" Kaneko showed him a picture of Yoshizawa and Takabayashi. It was a photo of them together, wearing the light blue Shidou blazer, standing before the school building.

Nozaki took the picture, his eyes narrowing. "This guy was in the archery club, one of the guys that won the competition. I remember him."

"Did you get involved with him?"

"What are you saying?"

"Just answer. Did you?"

"Of course. He was VP of the sports division in my senior year, we talked often."

Kaneko eyed him seriously. "Shidou is pretty nice towards their model student, aren't they?" he asked. "Wonder if they know the dirty tricks you've pulled to get to that university."

"I didn't do anything!"

The detective merely stared at him. After a few minutes, Nozaki leaned back to his seat, obviously defeated. "It's something in the past. It's not worth it anymore."

"But it was still cheating you did."

"What do you want?"

Kaneko glanced at the photo on the table and Nozaki sighed. "Listen, I might've used that drug I bought from Yoshizawa, but I stopped right after I applied for that university scholarship. I was clean when I went to college."

"Why?"

"Because… I actually listened to Takabayashi."

* * *

 _"Nozaki-senpai, I know what you did."_

 _Nozaki looked up from his desk to see Izumi Takabayashi standing on the doorway. Class 3-4 was already empty, save for Nozaki himself. He always took his time in tidying his books before leaving. "What is it, Takabayashi? As you can see, Yoshizawa isn't here."_

 _"Whatever, senpai. You know I'm not looking for him." His eyes narrowed. "I know what you did."_

 _A grin crossed Nozaki's face. "And what did I do?"_

 _Takabayashi looked like he was going to explode. "Don't you dare buying that shit from Michio again! I'll take it from you if necessary!"_

 _"Who are you to stop me?"_

 _In a flash, Takabayashi was standing next to Nozaki's desk. Not wanting to be intimidated by a_ kouhai _, Nozaki stood as well. Still, that didn't stop Takabayashi to glare at him. Despite being smaller, he was obviously trying to keep his intimidating composure. "You won't be able to enter that damn university if they know you're using drugs before applying!"_

 _"You wanna report me?"_

 _"I'll do whatever it takes to keep Michio here. And you too, senpai. This way, I can save both of your sorry asses."_

 _"What are you, an angel?"_

 _Takabayashi smirked. "No, just a so-called school slut. I reckon you were the one who first called me that." He walked away from Nozaki and stopped when he was already on the doorway. "There's one good thing in that. Wanna know what, senpai?"_

 _Nozaki waited._

 _"I know their secrets." He turned and his smirk was still there. Nozaki wanted so much to wipe it off his face. "So be careful."_

 _He left before Nozaki had the chance to answer._

* * *

"What did Takabayashi mean with secrets?"

Nozaki rolled his eyes. "In order to keep Yoshizawa in Shidou, Takabayashi negotiated with some of the teachers. Should I say what he did out loud?"

Kaneko knew what exactly Nozaki meant. "And so he was using this against you and the teachers?"

"I think that was what he planned. He wanted to save Yoshizawa's sorry ass. He didn't give a fuck towards mine."

"But Yoshizawa was expelled anyway. Do you think Takabayashi killed himself because of that?"

"He was a drama queen. Maybe he did that for attention, since Yoshizawa's left him alone."

"You really didn't like him, huh?"

"Why should I? He threatened to destroy my future. I was lucky he offed himself before he could do anything. But believe me, Detective, despite having a piece of him, he wasn't the teachers' boy."

"Keep talking."

Nozaki contemplated this for a while. "All I know is that he used to visit the teachers' dorms. I don't know whom he went to, but it didn't work much. He couldn't keep Yoshizawa here and ended up hanging himself. Now that I think about it… maybe he did that because he couldn't keep those so-called 'dark secrets' anymore. I need to go, by the way."

With that, he turned and left the cafeteria.

* * *

While Kaneko was interviewing Nozaki at school, Tachikawa returned to the precinct with some news from the archives back in 2005. "There's a police report filed under the name Michio Yoshizawa. Robbery."

"He robbed someone?" Takagi asked in disbelief. "Who?"

Tachikawa eyed him as if he were an idiot. "No. He _was_ robbed when he went home from his night shift in the convenience store on May 31, 2005. This made him lose all his remaining salary. Culprit never got caught and money never went back. Yoshizawa himself suffered from shock and a few minor injuries. No witness."

Motoki sighed. "Poor kid. No parents, no money, with two little siblings. No wonder he was desperate."

Takagi and Tachikawa exchanged glances.

* * *

"I'm really sorry to tell you this," Ishikawa began as Miya settled behind a desk in the same empty office they'd talked before. "But your DNA matches our John Doe. It was indeed your brother we found buried in Shidou Academy."

Miya burst into tears and Ishikawa let her cry for a moment. "Did you find Mio-chan?" she finally asked. "Does he know about this?"

"We did, and he's known already." Ishikawa mentally cursed Tachikawa and his careless words said to poor Mio back then. Mio wasn't supposed to know before all was confirmed. "But it wasn't officially confirmed when he was told, so we're considering of getting him here to inform him properly."

The young woman wiped her eyes and nodded. "Can I see him… when you've called him here?"

"Of course. Still, it's his decision whether he wants to see you or not, but we'll keep in touch. However, Miya-san, there's something I need to ask you. It's about his relationship with Izumi Takabayashi."

Miya merely nodded.

"On the day your brother disappeared, did he say anything about Takabayashi?"

"I don't remember… I guess he didn't. But I remember Izumi-chan's last visit before Nii-san disappeared. He wasn't even home, but Izumi-chan wanted to talk to me."

"When was it?"

"A week before the performance. I remember because Shingyouji-san was also there, babysitting us. As usual, he practiced his role while doing so."

* * *

 **(Song: 'I Don't Want to be' by Gavin DeGraw)**

 _"I am the wonderful prince!" Shingyouji-san recited a line from his play, swinging his imaginary sword. "And whatever the wonderful prince says, everyone shall obey!"_

 _Mio-chan clapped his hands from the couch. "Fight the dragon, Prince!"_

 _Shingyouji-san grinned and stood straight. He suddenly grabbed Mio-chan's waist and spun him around. Miya watched him open-mouthed. Shingyouji-san was strong enough to do something like that towards a ten year old boy. Even Nii-san never dared to do such thing. But then again, Mio-chan was always small for boys his age. Also, maybe that was why her little brother liked Shingyouji-san so much, and always demanded for his company when Nii-san was out._

 _"The dragon will die, Mio-chan! I'll fight it to death for the Sleeping Beauty!" Shingyouji-san was still spinning Mio-chan as he continued reciting his lines. "The wonderful prince always wins! For the sake of his love!"_

 _"Yay!"_

 _"Repeat it after me, Mio-chan! Whatever the wonderful prince says…"_

 _Eagerly, the youngest Yoshizawa child obliged. "…everyone shall obey!"_

 _Shingyouji-san laughed and put Mio-chan down. He turned to Miya and opened his arms. "Want some merry-go-round, Miya-chan?" he asked. "I won't drop you."_

 _Miya grinned and let the older boy spin her around like he did to her younger brother. She was impressed that Shingyouji-san was strong enough to do that to_ her _as well. After a while, Shingyouji-san put her down, still laughing even though it was obvious that he was trying to catch his breath._

 _"You guys surely are growing, huh?" He threw himself on the couch and Mio-chan automatically occupied the spot next to him. "Mio-chan, you'll grow just to be like your brother."_

 _Mio-chan pouted. "I don't wanna be like Nii-san."_

 _"Why's that?"_

 _"He's always out. I don't like being left alone."_

 _Shingyouji-san sighed. "He works for you, y'know. You need to appreciate that."_

 _"What does_ appreciate _mean?"_

 _A knock on the door stopped Shingyouji-san from answering. He rose and opened it, then returned with Izumi-chan on tow. It was Miya's turn to get all enthusiastic._

 _"Izumi-chan! Your hair looks different today."_

 _"Hello, girl!" Izumi-chan greeted. He patted his hair self-consciously, which was tied behind in a ponytail. It was unusual, for he always had it framing his face whenever he came to visit. He wasn't wearing his blue blazer, but the purple tie and black pants were unmistakable. He came straight from school, and what baffled Miya was that it was almost eight in the evening. "Having fun with the Prince today?"_

 _"Where's Nii-san?" Mio-chan asked from his seat. He didn't even move. Shingyouji-san sat back next to him, his playful mood disappeared. They only watched as Izumi-chan walked into the living room as if he were going to attack them. Miya didn't like this sudden change of mood, but found herself unable to say anything._

 _"He'll be back soon, Mio." Izumi-chan turned to Miya. "Can I talk to you?"_

 _Miya was confused of why she was asked, but nodded anyway. She followed Izumi-chan to the boys' room and sat on the bed. "What is it, Izumi-chan?"_

 _Izumi-chan also sat next to her and pulled out something from his pocket. Miya's eyes widened when she realized it was money. "Izu—"_

 _"Shush, girl. Just… just take this and don't tell Michio."_

 _"Why?" She always wanted to know that, since Izumi-chan first gave her money a few weeks ago. He never told her why, and this time she wouldn't let that topic go without a fight._

 _"You don't need to know, Miya."_

 _"Tell me, Izumi-chan, please! Or should I tell Nii-san about it?"_

 _Izumi-chan glared at her. "Are you bossing me?"_

 _"No! I just wanna know why!"_

 _After a long while of staring contest, Izumi-chan sighed. "You know why. That guy hates getting money for free. He always thinks he has to work for it. He's so dam—I mean he's so selfless it hurts." Izumi-chan rolled his eyes, but then smiled. "It's good to have such trait, but it's starting to get to my nerves. He's lucky to have me around, you know. Anyway, Miya, give some to Mio, will you? It's not much, but I hope you won't have to nag Michio for money, at least for a few days."_

 _Miya hugged him tightly, and Izumi-chan circled his arms around her. "Izumi-chan?"_

 _"Yes?" Izumi-chan released himself from the embrace._

 _"Shingyouji-san said that Nii-san's working for us, is that true?"_

 _For a few seconds, Izumi-chan's expression changed and Miya was afraid he'd storm out the room and hit Shingyouji-san for saying something like that. "Yes, Miya, I'm afraid it's true. That's why he always goes out with me every night… he doesn't want you guys to know he's working. He's in the convenience store now. If you ask me, he doesn't deserve that sh—kind of job. He's too good for that."_

 _Miya couldn't imagine her smart brother ended up behind the counter. "Me neither."_

 _"So, that's why I'm giving you this." Izumi-chan gestured at the money. "Just remember that. I really hope I can help you guys without sneaking around behind Michio's back, but he won't hear any of it. So, keep it, okay? It's yours and Mio's."_

 _"Alright. Izumi-chan, you look sad." He wasn't, actually, but Miya felt there was something wrong. "What's going on?"_

 _"I just feel that… I'm not doing my best to help you."_

 _"You did! Nii-san is always happy to see you. It's help enough, Izumi-chan."_

 _"But he's not going to school anymore, Miya, just so you know. I didn't make it."_

 _Miya only hugged him in silence._

* * *

"Did he do that often? Giving you money?"

"Yeah. Nii-san found out once, because Mio-chan didn't hide it well and they shared the same room. I knew he was angry, and I heard them fighting over it and Nii-san decision to leave the school. They thought I was asleep, but I wasn't. Nii-san said it was no use of returning to Shidou, because he wouldn't be able to afford it and pay the bills. Izumi-chan said he was wasting his time and that he'd help him with the money. It was a never-ending argument."

Ishikawa gave a nod. "On the day your brother disappeared, did he say where he was going?"

"No. But I guess it was far enough because he sent one of his friends to take care of us while he was gone."

This was new for the detective, thus she leaned forward on the table. "Who was it? Shingyouji-san?"

Miya shook her head. "This time it wasn't him. The guy was one of Nii-san's classmates who visited us a few times. We know him but we weren't close."

"Who's that?"

"It was Hayama-san, the class VP."

* * *

A/N: The 'wonderful prince' part is taken from the play Prince of Wonderful Town.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	7. Chapter 6

_CHAPTER SIX_

* * *

Takumi bit his lip when he was left alone in the interview room. It was obvious that he didn't like small, dark places. From the observation room, Motoki watched him squirm on his seat and wiped sweat from his brow a few times. He turned to Takagi, who was standing next to him. "Go and ask him already. What was it that you just found about him?"

"Takumi Hayama suffered some kind of trauma which resulted in him being haphephobic since his childhood. It explains his 'detachment to reality'. Only Giichi Saki is able to touch him back then, and he was his protector." Takagi showed his superior a piece of paper, with three photos printed on it. He exited the room without a sound, and entered the interview one. The sudden appearance made Takumi flinch. Takagi had to admit he pitied the young man, who looked genuinely nervous, and hoped the interrogation wouldn't take long.

"Are you okay?"

Takumi looked at Takagi as if he were going to attack him. "Y-yeah. Just… just a bit nervous, that's all."

"Troubled past?"

Another flinch. "No, nothing. This place is creepy, I think."

"We can talk somewhere else, if you want to." When Takumi shook his head, Takagi took a seat across from the young man. "Don't worry, Hayama-san. I won't hurt you. But there's something I need to know."

"Do tell," Takumi whispered. "That's why I'm here, after all."

"You were babysitting Yoshizawa's little siblings the day he disappeared. Is that true?"

"Yes. He asked for Toshihisa at first, since they were friends in the archery club. But Toshihisa couldn't get out the house that night, so he begged me to go in his place."

"And Yoshizawa knew you replaced Toshihisa babysitting his little siblings?"

A nod. "I made sure Toshihisa called him before I went there, so he could tell Miya and Mio to open the door when I came. I talked to Yoshizawa too, and he said it was okay because his little siblings knew me."

"How do you know them?"

"I visited his apartment a few times since the start of second year. Gii was the class president and I was his VP, and it was something we like to do, those visitations. Especially after Yoshizawa lost his parents, we knew we have to show our support, so we visited him a lot more than before. I knew Miya and Mio to some extent, and so did they."

"Did anything weird happen when you were there?"

To Takagi's surprise, Takumi suddenly covered his face with his hands. "I should've said this much earlier, when I first heard he missing… but I just couldn't. I should say this now. That day was strangeness personified."

* * *

 _Takumi wanted so badly to throw something at Miya and Mio Yoshizawa. This was unusual; they weren't angels, but they surely never threw such a tantrum. They never cried like a banshee whenever he visited them with Gii, and he never heard Shingyouji-kun or Yoshizawa complained about this two._

 _He wondered why he agreed to do this, other than Toshihisa's begging. Like Shingyouji-kun, Takumi only wanted to babysit these two kids because he was sorry for Yoshizawa. Michio Yoshizawa was a very nice guy, especially after he stood up for Takumi when Takabayashi attacked him. Takumi wasn't fond of kids, even one that was nearing her teens, but this was the least he could do._

 _"This is your fault, Mio-chan! Stupid boy!" Miya was openly crying now, and Mio wasn't much better._

 _"He always breaks his promise! I hate him!"_

 _"Whoa, whoa." Takumi tried to calm them down. "What is it?"_

 _Neither kid answered him. "I wanna see Nii-san!" Miya wailed. "Hayama-san! You have to help me! He left his phone behind, I wanna see him!"_

 _Takumi frowned at the idea. But if that could shut them up, then so be it. "Where's he going? If he comes home and see the house empty, what will you tell him?"_

 _"Just tell him we want to buy candies from the store," Mio replied quietly behind Takumi. "If he gets angry, just say that we can lie, just like he does."_

 _Miya grabbed him. "Watch your mouth, Mio-chan! Nii-san slapped you, is that not enough?!"_

 _Mio was going to scream back at his sister, but Takumi intervened before it worsened. "Alright, alright. Come on. Bring your umbrella in case it rains."_

 _And so they went. Takumi hated being touched, and he was relieved to know that neither Miya nor Mio tried to hold his hand as they walked in the darkness. He wondered, though, if they were used to the streets at night. Miya led their way towards the convenience store where Yoshizawa worked—Takumi had met him there once, with Gii, what an awkward meeting it had been—and opened the glass door as if she owned the place._

 _Takumi followed her inside, Mio standing next to him. Under the light of the neon lamps, Takumi could see a red mark on Mio's cheek. He pitied the boy, and wondered what Mio had done to get such a bruise. Yoshizawa was never a guy who'd hit people easily, not even to Takabayashi when he was in his worst. He must've had a reason._

 _Miya was back to his side after a few minutes. "Nii-san's not here. Let's go." She didn't waste any time to get out from the store. Her gestures eerily reminded Takumi of an angry Takabayashi, and it was understandable, since those two were close. Takumi and Mio followed her in silence._

 _"Where are you going, Nee-san?" Mio called out. It was the first time he spoke since they went out. "Slow down!"_

 _Miya didn't, but Takumi realized that they were going home. It was a relief. They were walking near an alley when he stopped. He knew he shouldn't, but he did anyway… because he heard a voice he knew._

 _The siblings, however, didn't. Just like Toshihisa back in Shidou a few months ago, they just continued walking. Takumi watched them until they disappeared from view. He was rooted on his spot, listening to the voices inside the dark alley. He felt some kind of déjà vu and it was confirmed when the voice he knew spoke._

 _"I can't. I can't do that."_

 _Yoshizawa._

 _"Maybe you shouldn't have bought anything from me if you can't pay me back."_

 _"You know what happened! I just need… I need more time."_

 _"Whatever, kiddo."_

 _"I can't do this," Yoshizawa repeated._

 _"Sure you can," an unknown voice answered. "That's why you're here. Just remember the presents you need to buy for your brother. Think about that."_

 _A long silence. "Alright." Yoshizawa sounded like he was going to cry. "Alright."_

 _They left the alley, and Takumi ran back towards the apartment building, where Miya and Mio had been waiting for him._

* * *

"If only I know he wouldn't be back home, I'd tell when Miya and Mio reported him missing on the next day. I just couldn't… I'm sorry."

"You know…" Takagi trailed off. "He wouldn't come back home at all. He was dead, Hayama-san. We just found his body."

Takumi closed his eyes. "I've thought that'd happen to him. I had a bad feeling when I saw him in that alley."

"Do you remember who he was talking to?"

"Never saw the guy, but what I can remember is how tall he was."

"Thank you, Hayama-san." Takagi reached out to pat Takumi's hand, but Takumi pulled away in reflex. The detective nodded solemnly and blinked, as if remembered something. "Actually, there's something else that I need to know."

"What is it?"

Takagi shoved the paper he'd been holding on the table. Takumi's eyes widened when he saw the photos printed on it.

"The school covered it, but we managed to get the report. Takabayashi wasn't the only one who attacked you in your second year, wasn't he, Hayama-san? Do you think it's unfair that Daisuke Nozaki is a free man, especially after he almost raped you?"

"If not for Gii and Akaike-kun barging into that place," Takumi whispered hoarsely. For a while, he looked like he was back to be a high school boy, afraid and defenseless. "I wouldn't have survived."

"You can't be touched, right? You said you were detached to reality."

Takumi nodded, but stayed silent.

"Why did you let Nozaki walk away?"

"Because… I don't know. I just didn't want to cause more trouble. I did try to speak to the teachers, but they only filed that report and said they would look at it." Takumi glanced at the three photos: himself with a bruise on his right eye, Gii's with his hair much more disheveled than usual, and Nozaki's with bruised eyes and a torn lip. "Next thing I know, Nozaki-senpai earned that scholarship."

"Did Gii do something about it?"

"He beat him up when he rescued me. But I told him not to make such a fuss at school, so he didn't do something drastic. But he did challenge Nozaki-senpai to a race. He won, so Nozaki-senpai can't bother me anymore. That was the least he could do."

"Do you think he should leave the school over what he did?"

"Yeah, of course. But Shidou really loved him, you know." Takumi sighed. "He even stayed at school after Yoshizawa left."

Takagi raised his head in alarm. "Why do you think so?"

"A teacher caught Yoshizawa selling drugs to Nozaki-senpai. It was a public secret around us that year. Both of them should've been expelled from Shidou, but only Yoshizawa did. It's just so... unfair."

* * *

A/N: For sd4ianto, thank you for the kind words. I always think that despite Takabayashi is an arrogant prince, he still has some good in him.

I have several big things to do in a few days, so the next chapter has to wait. Sorry for that.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Look who's back from an emotionally draining real-life event! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

 _CHAPTER SEVEN_

* * *

"Can I ask you something, Nozaki-kun?"

Nozaki lifted his head from the metal table and stared at Kaneko, who was still standing in front of the door. They were in the interrogation room. "What is it?"

"You're left-handed, right?"

"…yes. So?"

"I'm just wondering," Kaneko replied. "If you're left-handed and you hit someone facing you, you'll most likely injure their right side. Am I wrong?"

A scandalized look crossed Nozaki's face. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Just asking. You know, you were right about Takabayashi not being the teachers' boy, Nozaki-kun," the detective changed the topic as he settled across from the basketball coach.

"See?" Nozaki looked around the dim room triumphantly. "Took you long enough to believe that. He was just too insufferable."

"Yes. He wasn't the teachers' boy. But _you_ were."

Nozaki's smirk disappeared in an instant. "What?"

"Tell me, what did you do to get that scholarship of yours? You sure sacrificed a lot for that university."

"What are you saying?"

Kaneko leaned closer. "You used drugs to get there, and don't bother to deny it. We have reports and witnesses."

"Witnesses? But—" Nozaki fell silent almost immediately.

"But _what_?" Kaneko demanded quickly. "But you've got rid of the only witness you thought you had? You shouldn't have attacked people to begin with, you know. Karma'll hit you sooner or later, Nozaki-kun."

Nozaki glared at the detective. "If you mean Hayama, you were mistaken. I think it'd be fun to mess him around a bit. I was just teasing him, no harm in that. He was just too rigid to begin with, and so it ended badly. And not to mention his crazy-ass boyfriend and his friend from the disciplinary committee… they just couldn't catch a break."

Kaneko's expression hardened. He showed the picture of a bruised Takumi, taken from the school report. "Beating and almost raping another student is hardly a tease, Nozaki-kun. The whole second years knew you deserved to be expelled after what you did. But you didn't."

The basketball coach kept his silence.

"But you didn't," Kaneko repeated. He put Takabayashi's face picture next to Takumi's and pointed out the similar bruise on their right eyes. "You attacked both of them. Yet you stayed in Shidou until you graduated, even after you bought those drugs from Yoshizawa. What I want to know is how you did that. Did you, by any chance… do what Takabayashi did?"

"Stop it. I have dignity."

"And you think Takabayashi didn't? Is that how you think of him? Someone _low_ , who sleeps around? The _slut_?"

"Yes, because that was what he was."

"He did that for a reason, and you know well what it is. He had something that you didn't have. He had someone worth fighting for."

"Yoshizawa didn't even appreciate that." Nozaki closed his eyes in distress. "He kept doing what he was doing in Shidou. I sometimes bought those drugs from him outside the school after he's expelled."

"And Takabayashi knew that." It wasn't a question.

Nozaki nodded slowly. He looked lost in thought. "Yes. He knew that. He knew that all too well."

* * *

 _"Sagara said you want to see me?" Nozaki asked as he fixed the white gloves he was wearing. His class was making a butler café, and Nozaki was (forced to be) a part of it. He never liked wearing gloves, and he wished that the Founders' Day was over already. A senior he might be, but he loathed this busy day with a passion. Instead of playing basketball, he was stuck serving giggling teenage girls who couldn't seem to stop staring at him._

 _Takabayashi shrugged. He entered the unused classroom quickly and closed the door. "Akaike gave me your message. Told me to see you here right after performance."_

 _"You told Sagara you wanted to see me, so I asked Akaike to relay the message when he visited my class. What is it?"_

 _Something seemed to snap in Takabayashi's insides, and he lunged towards his senior. He was fast, despite the fact that he was still wearing a dress and high heels. "I saw you two, you know. Don't deny it, senpai."_

 _Nozaki feigned innocence. "What are you talking about?"_

 _"You and Kitano-sensei, damn it! I saw the two of you going towards the teachers' dorms, when everybody has gone home. What, you're following my footsteps now? And you're the one with that slut calling in the first place!"_

 _"That's ridiculous, Takabayashi. I never sleep with the teachers." Nozaki pushed the smaller boy away. He knew he was lying through his teeth, but he had to save his face. "Besides, aren't you the one who should be ashamed of what you did? And I wonder if Yoshizawa ever knows about that…"_

 _"He doesn't need to, because it won't help him sleep at night," Takabayashi hissed. "Tell me, Nozaki-senpai, did Kitano-sensei help you stay in Shidou? He's close to the principal and the supervisor for the sports division, after all."_

 _"Why should I tell you that?"_

 _"Because if you don't, I'll report you."_

 _"To where? To the teachers?" Nozaki wanted to laugh at that silly threat._

 _"Of course not. What do you think I am, an idiot? I'll take this shit to Shidou's Committee Board. I have access there, you know. Perks of sleeping with the principal, here." He looked almost proud, but Nozaki could see a twinge of sadness and regret. And determination._

He's serious _._

 _Nozaki paled immediately. The Committee Board, one that consisted of people who supervised and funded the school, was something that would never tolerate what he did. "You're bluffing," he growled. "You won't do that."_

 _"Try me." Takabayashi grinned evilly. "Yoshizawa's out, so he's not responsible to this school anymore. You, on the other hand… aren't that lucky. See, if nobody_ bought _those pills from Yoshizawa, nobody would need to be expelled, right?"_

 _Fear clutched Nozaki. "Don't you dare, Takabayashi!"_

 _"It's too late, Nozaki-senpai. Yoshizawa's already been expelled, and it's not fair to see you here, acting as if you run the joint! Should I show them the picture I took when you bought those pills from Yoshizawa before you applied for the university scholarship? It'll be a huge sensation, senpai! I can't wait to see the look on their faces!"_

 _"Shut up!" Nozaki's left fist flew and hit Takabayashi's right eye. The second year staggered backwards, and fell on his back because his high heels couldn't hold the sudden movement. However, Takabayashi still looked defiantly at his senior, despite the bruise that was forming on his beautiful face._

 _"This is proof!" he shrieked from his place on the floor. "This is proof that you're just as guilty as Yoshizawa! You deserve to be expelled just the way he was! You—"_

 _Nozaki wanted to badly to shut this boy up, so that was what he did. His gloved hands grabbed the school prince and squeezed his neck, hard. Takabayashi struggled and tried to grab something with his hands, but failed miserably. Nozaki only needed a minute to get him to shut up and stopped moving._

 _The realization came a few seconds after._ I killed him _._

 _The basketball captain dropped Takabayashi and started to look around. The empty class had a cupboard on one of its corners, and Nozaki rushed to open it. His eyes widened when he saw a long, strong rope, usually used for hanging the school projects. He grabbed the rope and went back to the lifeless body._

* * *

Kaneko leaned back on his seat, staring deeply at the pale Nozaki.

"I just wanted him to stop talking. I know he would do what he said. He was everything but a liar."

"That didn't change what you did, Nozaki-kun."

"Right." Nozaki shrugged nonchalantly, but it was obvious that he was haunted by what he did in the past. "I guess it didn't."

* * *

A/N: We might know who killed Takabayashi, but we still have a long way to go. About Nozaki being left-handed is a headcanon made by me.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	9. Chapter 8

_CHAPTER EIGHT_

* * *

Around the same time Nozaki confessed, in the next interrogation room, Masaya Nakamura looked down expressionlessly when Tachikawa threw a bundle of paper on the table before him. "Why am I here?" he demanded.

"It turns out you're quite famous with teenagers, right? Especially high school kids who wanted fast money for themselves. Open it." Tachikawa gestured at the papers. When Masaya did nothing, the detective contemplated whether he needed to do something drastic. " _Open it_ ," he repeated, gritting his teeth.

Masaya obliged, and his eyes widened when he saw reports and the boys' photos printed on every pages. He knew all of them. They were the teenagers to whom he'd sold drugs. "They know what they'll be doing when they asked me for a favor."

"And you used them. All of them," Tachikawa declared. He threw himself onto the chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Pushed them to their edge with your so-called helpful offer. And when they can't pay you back, you forced them to rob a place, and then left them alone."

"They're all desperate. In need for money," Masaya defended himself. "They're all grateful towards me, saying that I was their savior."

Tachikawa picked the papers and opened a page. "And what about him?" he asked, shoving Yoshizawa's report to Masaya's vision. "He couldn't pay you back, could he?"

Masaya's expression changed and he spoke without thinking. "What are you talking about? That I killed him because he couldn't?"

A triumphant smirk crossed Tachikawa's lips. "Who said he was killed?"

Masaya paled.

"A witness saw you talking to Yoshizawa on the day he disappeared. And it wasn't in a pub, like you said it was."

"He was there! He went drinking and then left! That's the last time I saw him."

"No. You followed him, into that alley. You were also desperate, right? You needed money, but he didn't have it. You took advantage of a poor kid. Are you gonna talk? We can call the other boys to testify, you know."

Masaya was stubbornly silent. Tachikawa banged the table for real this time.

"Don't you know that he was robbed a few days before? He couldn't even buy something for his brother's birthday, and yet you still—"

"A flashy red plane," Masaya muttered, interrupting Tachikawa's rant.

Tachikawa leaned back. "So, you _do_ know about that."

Masaya gazed at the detective with something between pity and regret. He then looked back down, at Yoshizawa's picture. Much to his dismay, Tachikawa had put the photo of Yoshizawa and his two little siblings next to the report. The happy smiles on their faces saddened Masaya even more. "Who doesn't? He talked about it nonstop. Said he finally got to fulfill his promise at last."

"And you took it away from him."

"I didn't." Masaya's voice had dropped into a hoarse whisper. "He shouldn't have backed off…"

* * *

 _"Nakamura-san, are you sure about this?"_

 _"Of course I am. Don't worry, I've done this before."_

 _Yoshizawa-kun hugged himself. Their surroundings were so dark it was hard to recognize where they were. But Masaya knew where they were heading, because he'd stalked a certain place as his next target. He liked to do this, after all, with all those stupid teenage boys he'd been with before this one. He'd take them together to rob the houses and stores and just left them there._

 _The scheme always worked perfectly. None of them would even_ think _of reporting him; they were just as culpable as he was. Some of them even returned to him, grateful for such experience and thrill._

 _"We're gonna rob the place?" Yoshizawa-kun asked worriedly._

 _"Yes, silly boy. Don't you want some money?"_

 _"But—"_

 _"Just think of your brother's present. A big, nice present from his beloved_ nii-san _."_

 _It was enough to shut Yoshizawa-kun's insecurities. "Tomorrow is his birthday. He'll be ten this year. He's growing up." Yoshizawa-kun sighed. "I don't think he loves me anymore, especially after what I did earlier."_

 _Masaya shrugged; he didn't know how to answer that. Instead, he looked around and spotted a familiar door. The reason Masaya chose this restaurant was the rumor he'd heard that the owner was some stupid guy who left his money unattended inside the cashier machine even long after closing hours._

 _"We're here," he whispered. I know how to get to the back door. C'mon, Yoshizawa-kun."_

 _A while after, they found themselves standing before the back door. Masaya broke the key with the trick he'd mastered for years, and they walked quietly into the restaurant. The place was dark, but Yoshizawa-kun was able to spot the cashier machine quickly. He nudged Masaya, and soon after they made their way there…_

 _…and the boy stopped._

 _"What is it?" Masaya urged in a hushed voice. "Why d'you stop?"_

 _Under the minimal light of the dim lamps nearby, Masaya could see Yoshizawa-kun's eyes widening. He followed the teenager's line of vision, and saw something sitting next the cashier machine._

 _It was a flashy red plane toy._

 _"C'mon, Yoshizawa-kun," Masaya demanded, trying to snap Yoshizawa-kun out of it. "We need to hurry."_

 _"No…"_

 _Masaya stopped. "What?"_

 _"I-I can't do this," Yoshizawa-kun stammered. "I'm sorry… but I can't."_

 _"Hey, c'mon, silly boy. You can't just walk away like that." Masaya reached out to grab Yoshizawa-kun, but the boy stepped back._

 _"No. No. Izumi's right, I've gone too far."_

 _"This is stupid!" Masaya half-shouted. In his anger, he almost forgot where he was. Yoshizawa-kun didn't seem to hear him, as he continued to walk backwards, muttering the same sentence._

 _"I've gone too far. I've gone too far. I've gone too far."_

 _"Shut up!" Masaya turned to the cashier machine. "Shut up and help me!"_

 _It seemed to snap the boy out his stupor. His expression hardened, and it was the first time Masaya saw that naïve boy looked so determined. "No, Nakamura-san. I'm outta here. I won't sell anything or get myself into your schemes anymore. I'll get myself away from you as far as I can. This is the last time we see each other."_

 _With that, he turned and was going to walk away. Masaya acted fast, driven by his anger and fear that he would be reported. He pulled out his knife and stabbed Yoshizawa-kun's back, making the boy almost scream._

 _"Yes, this_ is _the last time we see each other," Masaya hissed. He stabbed the poor boy once again and ran out the restaurant. He could hear Yoshizawa-kun's quiet groan as he slammed the door close. But the last thing he heard was a muffled voice that he couldn't recognize._

 _"Who's there?"_

* * *

"Are you sure you saw that toy plane?"

A nod. "That's why he backed off in the first place. And, by the way, what I know is that he was still alive when I left him."

"You left him to die. That doesn't make any difference."

"Listen," Masaya hissed. "We weren't alone. I heard someone inside that place, and Yoshizawa was still alive when I left him. What do you think happened?"

"What I think happened is that he died from the stab wounds you inflicted," Tachikawa retorted dryly. "You're still going down, Nakamura."

Masaya glared at him. He was going to say something when the door was opened. Tachikawa turned to see a pale-faced Motoki, and knew there was something wrong. "What is it?" he asked in alarm.

"It's Mio Yoshizawa."

* * *

A/N: Still, still a long way to go. What's going on with little Mio? Find out in the next chapter!

For sd4ianto, do you know that the guy who threw curry in the 1st movie played Toshihisa in the 3rd one? It's interesting that they keep using the old actors, isn't it? :D

About Yoshizawa, yeah. He's such a nice guy, sometimes Takabayashi doesn't even deserve him.

Oh, and you can find the novels translated in mimiwosumaseba's LiveJournal. I'm sorry but I dunno about the manga. I read it in a random manga reading page so I can't remember.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Since here's already March 26, here's a birthday present from me to everyone reading this fic. Happy Birthday to Me, yay! :D

Enjoy!

* * *

 _CHAPTER NINE_

* * *

Mio Yoshizawa was standing on the edge of the five story building of the university he was studying in, calmly watching the crowd under who was demanding him to get down immediately. He could see each one of them, despite the proximity. He could see how terrified they were, but he didn't care. Several police cars drove towards the building and Mio smiled bitterly. It was thanks to them that he was here. Behind his black-framed glasses, he watched at the cops that jumped down the cars, and recognized the one that had harshly told him that his brother was now seven feet underneath Shidou's large grounds. Anger swelled inside him.

"Go away! I wanna die!" he screamed. It was amazing to see that they could hear him, and Tachikawa's crestfallen expression was worth it. He was so focused on glaring at Tachikawa to know that Ishikawa and Takagi were going upstairs. "Don't you ever stop me! You can never stop me!"

Motoki grabbed a megaphone from the nearest police car and tried to speak to him. "Aizawa-kun, please, get down from there."

"No! Honor my brother, at least for now! My name is Mio Yoshizawa!"

"Alright, alright, Yoshizawa-kun. As long as you get down from there, we can talk about this."

"No! Tell that to Nii-san!"

Amidst the communication, Ishikawa and Takagi finally reached the rooftop after using the elevator. "Mio-kun," Ishikawa called when she spotted his back from where she was standing. The boy turned and saw her standing before the door. A younger detective was behind her, looking just as anxious.

"What do you want?" he asked harshly.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked back. "Why, Mio-kun?"

"Because he died! He died because of me!"

"Who?" Takagi joined the conversation. "Your brother?"

Mio nodded slowly and looked back to the crowd far beneath him. "If I weren't some stupid, spoiled brat, he'd still be here now."

"Mio-kun, your brother loves you. You weren't a perfect brother, but he still loves you."

It seemed to send the boy to the edge, figuratively. "Shut up! You don't understand what happened the night Nii-san disappeared! Nobody ever will, because all of it was my fault!" the boy shrieked. "Tell me then, why he had to leave us right on my birthday? I know that he hates me enough to ruin such a special day for me!"

"Mio-kun!" Ishikawa half-shouted. "Mio-kun, listen to me! He never wanted to leave you! He'd never do such thing!"

"Is that so?" Mio asked. He tried to sound sarcastic, but it came out much sadder. "Who knows about that?"

* * *

 _"Nii-san! Nii-san! Nii-san, tomorrow is my birthday!"_

 _Nii-san smiled mildly at his youngest sibling. "I know. We'll celebrate it, okay?" he asked before returning to the dishes he was washing after dinner. Mio knew he was no longer angry of Mio's tantrum on Izumi's play yesterday, for he'd said sorry first thing in the morning. People always forgive him if he'd said sorry, according to their mother. So, it was okay to bring up something like this to Nii-san now._

 _Behind Mio, Nee-san cheered. Mio knew she was as happy as him, for she'd been waiting for the time to wear her favorite yellow dress that she saved for special occasions. "We'll have cake! You can choose the cake this time, Mio-chan! You're a big boy now!"_

 _"Yeah!" Mio replied. "The last time you shopped, we needed three hours."_

 _"Hey!" Nee-san pretended to be hurt at his remark. "Shopping is very important to your life! Right, Nii-san?"_

 _Nii-san didn't answer. Mio knew something was wrong. "Nii-san, can I ask you something?"_

 _"Go ahead."_

 _"I'll get the plane I want, right?"_

 _That was the time Nii-san stopped washing dishes. He cleaned his hands and knelt before the boy. Mio knew it was a no. "Mio-chan, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."_

 _"It's not fair!" Mio started to cry. "You promised you'll get that for me for my birthday! Why do you always lie to me?!"_

 _"Stop it, Mio-chan! Nii-san's not a liar!" Nee-san tried to intervene, but even she looked bothered for some reason. She turned to their brother. "Nii-san, you'll buy him that plane, right? The red, cool plane. I like it too. You promised, remember? When we came to the toy store three months ago?"_

 _It was the first time Mio ever saw Nii-san close to crying. "I'm so sorry, Mio-chan. You'll have to wait."_

 _It was the last straw. Mio was so tired of Nii-san keep breaking his promises, from something as simple as doing homework together until something as important as this. "You're awful, Nii-san!" he shrieked. "You're the worst brother ever!"_

 _"Mio-chan, don't say anything stupid!" Nee-san pushed him, trying to get him to shut up._

 _"No, Nee-san! I want that plane!"_

 _"You'll get it," Nii-san assured, trying to grab the boy. In his tantrum, Mio pushed him away as hard as he could, making Nii-san, who was still kneeling before him, fall on his side. He resumed his position, and this time he managed to grip Mio in his hands. "I promise, Mio-chan, you'll have it. You just have to be patient."_

 _"No!" Mio tried to pry himself off his brother, but no avail. Eight years difference made him much stronger. "No! Nii-san is a liar! I need Mom and Dad!"_

 _"Mio-chan—"_

 _"I wish Mom and Dad are here! I wish you're the one dead instead of them!"_

 _What happened next was a blur. Mio found himself sprawling on the floor, his cheek burning with pain. Nee-san watched them, open-mouthed. It took Mio a long while to realize that Nii-san had hit him. He blinked tears from his eyes and saw Nii-san's regretful expression before the teenager rushed out the kitchen._

 _"Stupid Mio-chan!" Nee-san admonished before running towards her older brother. She was back a few minutes later and helped Mio to stand. "Nii-san leaves because of you!"_

 _Mio couldn't say anything. The slap was enough to render him speechless._

* * *

Mio finished his bitter story with a mocking laugh. "He loved me. Yeah, whatever. I'm a spoiled little brat who lived on from his lies and the one who killed him." He moved his upper body forward. Takagi, who'd crept closer to the boy without anyone realizing, saw the movement first and launched himself to stop him.

And a voice stopped both of them.

"Mio-chan!"

Mio was so shocked he froze. Ishikawa sighed in relief while Takagi turned to see the source of voice. At least for now, the boy was safe… and extremely shocked he couldn't even move. Ishikawa turned as well, and saw a familiar man standing in front of the door that led to the rooftop. Without his glasses, he looked a bit different, but closer to the photo taken in his younger years.

"Mio-chan," the man called, more softly now. "Please, get down from there."

It seemed like Mio had regained his senses. "No!" he shouted, but it was obvious that he wasn't entirely sure of killing himself now.

"Mio-chan, please. There's something I need to tell you." With that, the man took a step closer to the boy.

"Then tell, Shingyouji-san! I'm not going down!"

"Fine, I'll tell you from here." Shingyouji took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mio-chan!"

It wasn't something Mio had expected, for he turned to his old caretaker almost immediately. Takagi crept even nearer to the boy, grateful that Mio was now distracted so that he could grab him once he was close enough.

"What are you talking about?"

Shingyouji looked like he was going to cry. "I failed you, I failed your sister. I'm so sorry!"

Mio still looked confused. "You don't have anything to do with this, Shingyouji-san."

"But I do! I do, Mio-chan!" For a while, Ishikawa and Takagi saw a flash of younger Shingyouji, pleading at the little boy he used to play together with. "I didn't honor him! I should've taken care of you and Miya-chan once I know your brother disappeared, but I didn't!"

Tears started to pool on Mio's eyes. "You couldn't have known," he said. "It's Nii-san's fault, not yours."

"I can't fulfill his promise to me!" Shingyouji yelled. "I wasn't ready to take care of the two of you, and when I finally did, you've been taken away to foster care! I tracked you down but then I saw you laughing with your mother, and how Miya-chan enjoyed her new school… I couldn't bring myself to take you two away from families who love you!"

Ishikawa and Takagi frowned.

"So, please, Mio-chan. Let me make it up to you. Let your brother make it up to you."

Mio shook his head. He was now crying; his glasses now almost covered with the fog. "No, no, Shingyouji-san. I've been living with the guilt for years, and when I know Nii-san is dead, I know I'm the cause of it. He might've not died in my hands, but I killed him all the same!"

"He loves you so much, you know!" Shingyouji was desperate now. "Everything he did, he did it for you and your sister! You can't waste your life like this!"

"And that's what makes it even more painful!" Mio retorted. He turned his back at Shingyouji and Takagi grabbed him before he could do anything more. "Let me go!" he cried out hoarsely, but Takagi was stronger. Yet, he was still standing at the edge, and if Takagi wasn't fast enough, Mio wouldn't be the only one flying to his death.

Shingyouji pulled out something from his backpack. "Mio-chan! Mio-chan! Look!"

Mio obliged at Shingyouji's command, and his eyes widened. In the man's hands was a flashy red plane toy, unused for eleven years. "Look, Mio-chan, it's for you. It's always for you."

"What—"

"I keep it for years, and I'm really sorry for that. It's yours now. So… can you get down from there?"

The boy was weeping again, but didn't move. Something dawned on Shingyouji and a small smile crossed his lips. "Mio-chan, I'm the wonderful prince, remember?"

A tearful Mio nodded.

"Repeat after me, Mio-chan. Whatever the wonderful prince says…"

"…everyone shall obey," Mio continued in reflex, his voice was so small only Takagi could hear him. But still, Shingyouji's smile broadened.

"So, if the wonderful prince tells you to get down from there, what should you do?"

Mio didn't need to be told twice. He stepped down almost immediately. Takagi released him and he ran right into Shingyouji's arms. The man dropped the toy plane and hugged him as tightly as he could, even slightly lifting the boy from the ground while stroking his hair. For a while, a flash of their younger self appeared and little Mio burrowed his head on Shingyouji's shoulder.

Even after the flashback disappeared, the boy couldn't stop his tears, and all of them let him be. But when Shingyouji caught Ishikawa's stare, he gave a meaningful nod.

 _Later_.

* * *

A/N: My fav chapter to write. I have to say that the suicide attempt part is taken from the episode Millennium (I forgot the title of the original episode, sorry). I only own this story and the OCs.

The shopping part is actually a reference to a gifset of Goseiger I saw on Tumblr. The yellow dress is also another reference to the show.

It's my headcanon that Shingyouji could carry Mio, despite them being only 6 years apart. My head tends to get anywhere with the actors who 'portray' them. XD

For sd4ianto, well... Mio didn't do anything but he also had a hand in his brother's departure.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: My thesis is back to me so I'll go nuts in a matter of days. Before that, here's the next chapter. Enjoy, readers!

For sd4ianto, it's the same plane. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

 _CHAPTER TEN_

* * *

After the commotion subsided, Shingyouji drove Mio home and met his foster family. He went to the PD a few hours later, his expression troubled. Ishikawa could understand; such near-death experience of someone beloved would bother everyone.

"Do you have anything to say, Shingyouji-san?"

He nodded and Ishikawa brought him to the interrogation room. "You know, Detective, Mio-chan wanted so hard to come with me. I can't let him."

"Why is that?" Ishikawa inquired, out of curiosity.

"Mio-chan doesn't deserve to know this. It's better to remember Yoshizawa-senpai as… a good guy. He doesn't need to know that his brother was killed."

Ishikawa's suspicion kicked in, and she frowned. "How do you know he was killed?"

Shingyouji sighed, as if knowing it was time to spill the truth. "I'll tell… but please, Detective. Just answer the question."

The detective relented. "We got the guy who stabbed him, but he claimed that Yoshizawa was still alive when he left him, so we can't arrest him for murder. But he's still going down for physical assault, and that's the least we can do for now. Do you know something about it?"

"Is that how he died? Stab wounds?"

The detective took a folder stored on the table near the door. She pulled out the autopsy result for Michio Yoshizawa and handed it to the man, who read it with a frown. "We found it was the reason he died. But if he was still alive after the guy left him, it was possible that he died of blood loss from the wounds. Unless… the person who'd found him let him die there."

"It's not like that." Shingyouji took a deep breath. "He should've gone to the hospital."

"What?"

When Shingyouji didn't reply, the detective finally put two and two together. "It was yours, right? That restaurant. You've owned it since you were still in Shidou. And that was the place they were going to rob. Am I wrong?"

It was when the man finally answered. "No. I live upstairs, and I was there when it happened. Yoshizawa-senpai only came there once when Mio-chan stayed in my place, so I guess… when it happened he didn't know where he was. I think… the plane made him realize that it was my restaurant he was going to rob."

"Why do you have that plane on the first place?"

"I heard about Yoshizawa-senpai being robbed a few days before," Shingyouji explained. "I know he wouldn't be able to buy that plane Mio-chan always told me about, so I bought it for him. I wanted to surprise both of them."

"You were home but why didn't you take care of his siblings?"

"I was celebrating with a friend. The Prince role was finally over, and at that day I was off limits."

"With 'friend', do you mean your senior Arata Misu? The one guy you've lost contact since he left for the United States?"

"Yes, that one."

"I see." Ishikawa stood and pulled out another paper from Yoshizawa's case folder. It had Shingyouji and Misu's name written on top. "It's quite interesting because you keep making international phone calls to that country. You don't lost contact with Misu, you never do. Why did you lie about it?"

"Are you even allowed to trace that?" Shingyouji asked, his eyes narrowing. Still, he looked like a cornered animal.

Ishikawa gave him a slight smile. "It's my turn to say this: just answer the question."

Shingyouji didn't and he looked down at the table, at the international calls he'd made since Misu left for America. So Ishikawa leaned forward on the table, forcing an eye contact. "Did something happen that night? Did Arata Misu kill Yoshizawa?"

It seemed to catch Shingyouji's attention. "Of course not! Arata-san would never hurt anyone!"

"Why are you so sure?"

The man gazed at her. "I'll tell, as long as you keep Arata-san out of this."

"Depends on what you have to show me."

"Please, Detective, please. The nightmares are enough, he doesn't need you—"

Ishikawa cut his rants. "If he didn't do anything, we don't need to take him in. What happened, Shingyouji-san, that you're so persistent in protecting him?"

"Because…" Shingyouji closed his eyes. "Because… Yoshizawa-senpai… it was me." He opened them again, and Ishikawa saw fierce determination behind them. He looked foreign with that expression, since he never looked like that since Ishikawa met him. She realized that this man was moved by love he had for his senior.

"And to answer your question, Detective, I'll do whatever it takes to protect Arata-san."

* * *

 _Shingyouji was together with Arata-san a day after the performance. They were celebrating the end of Founders' Day together. It was relieving for both of them. Shingyouji knew Arata-san was glad that the play—and the day in general—were over. Arata-san was a possessive master and Shingyouji wasn't interested to see his boyfriend socializing with other people, too, despite his position in the student council._

 _"How's the restaurant going?" Arata-san asked after Shingyouji was back with a bowl of popcorn. In order to celebrate, Arata-san bought some snacks and Shingyouji rented a few DVDs from the nearest film rental. Now was the fourth movie for the night, something about historical drama that Arata-san always liked. Shingyouji reoccupied the place next to his boyfriend on the sofa and put the popcorn between them._

 _"So far so good," Shingyouji replied. He and Arata-san had decided to open a small restaurant just to be independent from their parents. Being a rich son had its advantages; they had a lot of savings. In Arata-san's case, it was enough to pay the tuition until the graduation day_ and _start a business._

 _Shingyouji didn't want to live with his parents anymore, while Arata-san left a place he was forced to call home. He was now living on the second floor of the restaurant, with Shingyouji. Sometimes Shingyouji did go home, just to assure his parents that he was okay living alone. But they never knew he co-owned this place (hell, they even didn't know where this place was!), and for that he was grateful._

 _Nobody ever searched for Arata-san, and it was a good thing for Shingyouji's boyfriend, too._

 _"You're keeping the money safe, don't you?" Arata-san suddenly asked, cutting off Shingyouji's train of thoughts._

 _"Of course!" Shingyouji was offended for some reason. He had to admit he was careless sometimes, leaving the money in the cashier machine so Arata-san had to retrieve it in the middle of the night. But today was different; Shingyouji made sure he took it and saved it in his room. He didn't want to disappoint his master in days like this._

 _"Just asking, pet. No need to be snappish," Arata-san grumbled, putting his hand on Shingyouji's head. He messed up his hair, just like one would do to their pets. Shingyouji groaned playfully and leaned his body against his boyfriend's as they continued to enjoy the movie._

 _It was forty-five minutes of the movie that Shingyouji felt the urge to pee. "Arata-san, I need to go to the toilet."_

 _With an audible grunt, Arata-san put down his hand from Shingyouji's shoulder. He didn't even look away from the screen. So Shingyouji stood and left for the bathroom. He was halfway there when he heard a rustling sound from downstairs._

 _Shingyouji stopped walking. The sound stopped, leaving the movie as the only source of voice. The first-year continued his walk towards the bathroom when the sound was heard again. He frowned and glanced at Arata-san, who was so immersed at the movie he didn't even move. So, he picked a flashlight—he still forgot where the lamp's switch sometimes—and sneaked out their room._

 _"Who's there?" he called quietly in the darkness. He shouldn't be scared; he was a Kendo athlete, after all. He could defend himself just fine. Besides, Arata-san hated cowards and Shingyouji wanted to protect him at all costs._

 _"Who's there?" he repeated, slowly stepping down the stairs._

 _And that was when he saw it._

 _Two people, a muffled scream, and one of them running away. The one left behind slumped against the wall, right before Shingyouji's eyes. Blood smeared against the nice wooden wallpaper Arata-san had chosen._

 _"Wha—" Shingyouji rushed towards the body, his flashlight turned on since the dim lamps weren't much help. "Who are you?" he asked worriedly, falling to his knees next to the wounded person._

 _"Shi—shing—"_

 _Shingyouji recognized the voice, and when he directed the flashlight at the face, he couldn't help but to gasp in shock. All reason vanished from Shingyouji's mind, and all he wanted was to get this guy to the hospital. "Yoshizawa-senpai! You're hurt!"_

 _"Shingyouji," was the hoarse reply, no louder than a whisper. Shingyouji flashed the light and saw blood on his stomach._

 _"We need to get you to the hospital, Yoshizawa-senpai!"_

 _Yoshizawa-senpai shook his head, much to Shingyouji's surprise. "Stay, s-stay, pl-please. I… I won't b-be long."_

 _The first-year knew what he meant. "No, senpai! No! Remember Mio-chan? And Miya-chan? Hang on, I'll call the ambulance!"_

 _"No!" Yoshizawa-senpai's sudden exclaim stopped Shingyouji from what he intended to do. "N-no, Shing-shingyouji, it's… it's fine."_

 _"Yoshizawa-senpai, you have to go to the hospital. Mio-chan and Miya-chan need you."_

 _"I-I've gone… too far, Shingyouji. They don't n-need me."_

 _"You're wrong. They love you," Shingyouji insisted. "They'll love you no matter what, Yoshizawa-senpai."_

 _Yoshizawa-senpai coughed, and blood was now trickling down his chin, too. Shingyouji watched him in horror. "N-no, Shingyouji. They'll h-h-hate me when they know. I-Izumi's right, I've… I've gone t-too far. I'm… I'm sorry, Shingyouji."_

 _It was when Shingyouji realized_ why _Yoshizawa-senpai was there in the first place. "It… it doesn't matter, Yoshizawa-senpai! We need to get you to the hospital!"_

 _"Shingyouji," Yoshizawa-senpai pleaded, clutching Shingyouji's hand all of a sudden. "P-promise me."_

 _Shingyouji knew it was time. "What is it, Yoshizawa-senpai?"_

 _"Y-you love Mio-chan, right? He's… he's your favorite."_

 _"Yeah, senpai. He's like my little brother." Tears were streaming down Shingyouji's face now, knowing full well what was going to happen. "He needs you. Your sister needs you. Both of them need you, so hang on."_

 _"N-no, Shingyouji. Promise m-me… you'll t-take care… of them."_

 _"What?"_

 _Yoshizawa-senpai only stared at him before continued speaking. It was obvious that even breathing was a struggle, but Shingyouji knew he needed to say something before he left the world. So he let him stutter whatever he had in mind. "Little M-Mio loves planes."_

 _"I know, I know. That's why I bought that plane for him. I want to surprise him. His birthday is tomorrow, right? You need to be there, senpai!"_

 _"Thank… thank y-you."_

 _"It's okay, senpai. You don't need to worry about buying that plane for him now. I've taken care of it."_

 _Yoshizawa-senpai nodded and coughed, getting more blood down his chin. "T-take care… t-take c-c-care… of h-him."_

 _They were his last words. It was already June 5, 2005 when he died in Shingyouji's arms, as the clock chimed, telling the distraught boy that it was already 1:30 in the morning. Shingyouji bowed his head and cried. He didn't know how long he did so, but when he looked up, Arata-san was already there. Shingyouji never saw him looking that… weird. He looked like he was angry and sad at the same time._

 _"A-Arata-san—"_

 _"Clean up, Shingyouji."_

 _"What?"_

 _"I heard everything. And you heard me. Clean up, pet."_

 _"Arata-san—"_

 _Arata-san grabbed Shingyouji's shoulders and dragged him a bit away from the body. He knelt in front of Shingyouji, his eyes were as serious as before. "Listen to me, Shingyouji. This is our new life, and I'll do anything to keep it."_

 _"B-but, Arata-san, he's your friend too!" Shingyouji protested._

 _"Which is why I'll take care of him," Arata-san replied. He cupped Shingyouji's cheeks and kissed his nose. "Don't worry, Shingyouji. It's a master's job to worry about things."_

 _With that, he stood and ran upstairs._

* * *

"And that was how it happened." Shingyouji ended his story in a hollow tone. "It changes our lives forever. I never want Arata-san to leave, believe me I do. But he was no longer the Arata-san I know and it was even worse to let him stay here. So, when the offer to study abroad came, I forced him to go. Took me almost a year to convince him, but I'm glad to know that he's doing well there."

"What happened to him?"

"He was… depressed, for lack of better word. Yoshizawa-senpai's death, and then he found out about Takabayashi's… he was never the same again."

"What did he do, Shingyouji?" Ishikawa asked. When Shingyouji didn't answer, she repeated the question. "What did Misu do?"

A sigh. "He… called the only person in his school year… who had a car."

* * *

A/N: The next one is the last chapter. Whoa, I can't imagine this is coming to an end. Makes me a bit sad, y'know. Thank you soooo much for reading this far!

I have this headcanon that Misu likes to kiss Shingyouji's nose when he's distressed XD

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	12. Chapter 11 and Epilogue

A/N: For sd4ianto, well… the one who owned a car is in this chapter. Are you sure it's not Gii or Takumi? :D

I'm done fixing my thesis a bit, so I don't wanna waste my time to post this. There you go, readers, the last chapter! As usual, this is merged with the epilogue. Unexpected enough, I fall in love with this story, despite that I wrote this as an outlet of stress.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _CHAPTER ELEVEN_

* * *

"Nice photo you have here," Kaneko commented.

"Thank you," came the humble answer. "It was our first photo together as a couple."

The detective pointed at the black car behind the couple photo. He'd noticed that since he first saw it, but now was the right time to ask about it. "Is this yours? It looks new."

A laugh. "Yeah. It was my first car, bought when I was still in Shidou. I was really proud of it. I don't like to brag, but… I like the fact that I was the only one in my class year that had a car back then."

"What did your boyfriend say about it? He didn't seem to be an elite type, right?"

"I joked that the car was our wedding present and that was why we took a picture in front of it. But please, enough about me. Is there anything else you need to know, Detectives? I didn't expect to see you again, frankly speaking."

"Same here," Tachikawa replied dryly, looking around the luxurious private study from his seat. Kaneko put down the photo of Gii and Takumi before sitting down next to his colleague, and they watched as Gii took a seat behind the desk in front of them. "There's something else we need to know."

"What is that?"

"We need to know why you lied."

Gii frowned. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You didn't go to the teachers' dorms on Sunday." Kaneko showed him a piece of paper, a copy of Shidou's entry permission on June 2005. Gii's name and signature were highlighted. "You went there on Saturday. June 4, 2005. Why did you lie about it?"

"Let me see that," Gii said, taking the paper from the table and examined it. He put it down a few minutes later, the frown was still there. "I'm sorry. I guess that just slipped my mind."

Tachikawa didn't buy it one bit. "Is that so," he muttered, loud enough to be heard. "There's something else that we need to clarify, though."

"And what is that?" Gii tilted his head, waiting in a challenging manner.

"When we first came here, you said you weren't close to Takabayashi," Kaneko elaborated. "Now, answer this. Is it true that he came to you pretty often… often enough for your boyfriend to notice?"

"Did this slip out your mind as well?" Tachikawa pressed, his tone mocking. "That ' _not-so-closeness_ ' between the two of you?"

Gii leaned against his seat, shutting himself up. The detectives lost their patience.

Tachikawa stood and put his hands on Gii's desk. He looked pretty frightening with that glare of his. "We know Arata Misu called you the day Yoshizawa died, asking for your help. Don't bother denying this."

Color automatically drained from Gii's face. "I don't know what you're talking about," he denied, almost automatically.

"I believe you do," Kaneko replied behind his fellow detective. "You were the only second year who owned a car, and you just came to the dorms a day before. Nobody would suspect you, right?"

"We know you buried Yoshizawa there," Tachikawa added. "What we don't know is _why_."

Gii was still silent for a while, before eventually gave up under the detectives' hard stare. "Yeah, yeah, you got me. Takabayashi and I, we were pretty close friends. Despite everything, he indeed helped me to confess to Takumi, and I owed him for that. He never bothered me after that incident, and always talked about Yoshizawa whenever he came to me. How he loved the guy and all that. I realized that the only thing he wanted was to be with him, together in Shidou. Getting them together for the last time was the least I could do for him."

Realization dawned on the two detectives. "You didn't find Takabayashi's body on Sunday," Tachikawa spoke slowly. "You found him on the day before."

"Yes." Gii gave a slight nod. "Found him when I was going home after the meeting. And just a few hours past midnight, Yoshizawa was dead. Some bastard stabbed him, and we still don't know who did that."

"Why don't you report it right away?" Tachikawa asked. "When you found him on Saturday, why didn't you go to the cops?"

"I just didn't want to get involved with the authorities."

"But you reported it anyway. What changed your mind?"

Gii blinked and didn't say anything. Kaneko decided to push him even further.

"Saki, did Misu go with you when you buried Yoshizawa there?"

The silence stayed for a few minutes, before Gii finally spoke up. "Misu's supposed to have his happily ever after, with Shingyouji."

"And so you covered him up."

"He left home, you know. He was starting over, from scratch, with someone who hated his childhood home as much as he did. Even though we don't really like each other, I know Misu doesn't deserve what happened to him. It was never his fault to begin with."

"Let me get this straight," Tachikawa intervened. "You covered him up, telling the cops that you were the only one who found Takabayashi instead of the two of you. All because you think he needs the peace with his boyfriend, whose home life was just as messed up as Misu's. Don't tell me that you were also the one who suggested Yoshizawa being buried there."

"In fact, I did, Detective. I thought we can move on after that, knowing that we were the only ones who know the full truth of Yoshizawa's whereabouts." Gii let out a strange sound, like a sad laugh. "I just never thought… that the secret will haunt us forever. Especially Misu."

"According to Shingyouji, he was depressed."

"Indeed. When Shingyouji first talked to him about studying abroad, he came to me, wanting to spill the truth. I know I can't stop him… who am I to stop him when I still have occasional nightmares myself even though I've confessed that I found Takabayashi? So, I said he could do that, but then he changed his mind himself."

"Why?"

"He said he didn't want Shingyouji to know what he'd done and lose the restaurant. But he also realized that he couldn't stay, or Shingyouji would find out sooner or later. The real reason why he finally gave in and went to America was that he thought that could keep his nightmares away from Shingyouji." Gii sighed. "Despite his cold attitude, he really loves that guy. Strange pair, those two."

Tachikawa and Kaneko exchanged glances. "One thing I still don't understand," Kaneko replied, much gentler than before. " _Why_ did you bury him there?"

"Don't you get it? Like Takumi to me, or Shingyouji to Misu, Yoshizawa was Takabayashi's true prince, and if that was how they could have their happily ever after, then so be it."

* * *

 _"Are you sure about this?" Misu asked worriedly next to Gii, who was driving. Gii had never seen the usually calm and composed student council member so… agitated._

 _"Yes, Misu. I know what I'm doing."_

 _Misu nodded and stayed silent. "It's Sunday," he reopened the conversation. "I'm supposed to take charge of the restaurant today. Shingyouji's still in shock."_

 _Gii didn't answer. He himself had a date with Takumi, but this was important. He'd considered calling Shozou, but decided not to. Shozou Akaike was his best friend, and he was more than reliable, but Gii doubted he could keep something as big as this. Besides, Shozou wouldn't understand how important this was to Misu, who was barely starting his life with Shingyouji, and would never let anything ruin it. Shozou wouldn't understand Takabayashi's sentimentality, or whatever he'd done to keep Yoshizawa as a student in Shidou._

 _Gii found himself sympathizing him. He, too, would do anything for Takumi._

 _So that was why he was doing this._

 _"We're here," he finally declared. Misu quickly jumped to the backseat and hid himself under the blankets Gii always brought for Takumi in case he had a panic attack. Gii then opened the window as he arrived on the gates._

 _"Good morning," he greeted the security guard._

 _"Morning," came the gruff reply. "Saki-kun, huh? What are you doing here? Isn't it a bit too early?"_

 _Gii flashed him his best smile. "Meeting Kitano-sensei. You know what he wants."_

 _It was a sufficient answer. It was an open secret about Kitano-sensei and the students, yet nobody ever brought the case to the spotlight. At least nobody would've talked about his visit today. He showed the guard his teacher permission and closed the window as the security guard gave a nod and opened the gates._

 _He drove to the secluded area of the grounds, a few meters from where he'd found Takabayashi the day before, hanging on a branch._

 _Call him creepy, but Takabayashi still looked beautiful even though he'd been dead for almost a day. There was something princess-like in him, something that could charm people, enchant them to be under his thumb. Gii shook his head to get rid of the image and opened the door. "C'mon, we don't have much time."_

 _Misu jumped out as well, opened the trunk, and took the shovels they needed. They worked in silence, and it took more than an hour to finally get Yoshizawa underground. Gii felt oddly emotional and kept wondering whether the Sleeping Beauty has woken up in heaven because his Prince was also there now._

 _So he knelt on the ground and touched the soil. "'And thus, they lived happily ever after'," he murmured, reciting the last line from the play. Misu watched behind him, and Gii saw him kneeling and prayed next to him. He let him be, and continued to watch the freshly dug soil as if grass would just sprout from underneath._

 _After that, both of them stood. "We need to keep students away from this place," Misu said._

 _"It doesn't matter. Nobody ever comes here." Gii replied._ Yeah, except me. Went here yesterday, just because I want to be alone for a moment… and look who I've found. _"But if you insist… maybe we can spread stories to scare them away."_

 _"What an idea." Misu gave a nod and walked forward. Gii knew where he was going, and let him. As predicted, his name was called. "Saki! You better come and see this!"_

 _"Huh? What is it?" Gii feigned surprise and rushed towards Misu. He watched as Misu walked towards Takabayashi's dangling body, slowly as though he were in a quicksand. "Is that Takabayashi? Misu, is that him?" he demanded, trying to sound as shocked as possible._

 _"Yes," Misu replied hoarsely. He looked like he was going to faint. No wonder. Two days and his two friends died… it wasn't easy. "I can't handle this. Not anymore."_

 _Gii moved so he was now standing next to his classmate. "You don't need to. Since you're not supposed to be around the teachers' dorms today, I'll be the only one who found the body. Nobody has to know this. Just go and be with Shingyouji."_

 _"What?"_

 _No answer came from Gii except a small smile._ You, too, deserve a happily ever after.

* * *

 _EPILOGUE_

* * *

 **(Closing Song: 'Season'** **by 1st Season Hyoutei A from Musical Prince of Tennis** **)**

Giichi 'Gii' Saki stood and ushered the detectives towards the door. Detectives Tooru Kaneko and Daisuke Tachikawa only stared at him as he opened the door, and they watched as his eyes widened when he saw someone on the doorstep. Takumi Hayama was there, with a frown marred his brow and astonishment on his expression. It was obvious that he'd heard Gii's confession, and he was dealing with the shock. Gii pulled him into a loose hug and they were busy with their own world when the two detectives left them alone.

* * *

Daisuke Nozaki watched from behind the bars as Detective Yuri Ishikawa brought in Masaya Nakamura. The convicts didn't look at each other, but Ishikawa halted a bit just to look at the miserable Nozaki. They continued the staring contest for a few seconds before Ishikawa walked away with Masaya towards an empty cell nearby. The tall man was as silent as her when a police officer opened the prison door for him.

* * *

Back in the precinct, Detective Shinjiro Takagi was putting all of case-related papers into two yellow folders, named _TAKABAYASHI_ , _I. (SUICIDE)_ and _YOSHIZAWA, M. (MISSING PERSON)_. After he was done, he wrote _CLOSED_ on top and changed the cause of death to _(MURDER, 2005)_. He closed the black marker and let his superordinate, Hidetoshi Motoki, returned the folders to the shelf written _Special Assignment 2005_.

* * *

Kanemitsu Shingyouji was driving when he saw his phone vibrated. _One new message_ , the screen told him. Since he was stopping under the red light, he opened the phone and read the mail.

 ** _Arata-san:_** _It's weird, but I wanna pet your head, Shingyouji._

Shingyouji smiled widely and typed his reply. _I miss you too, Arata-san_ , because that was what Misu actually meant. After sending it, he continued his journey towards a certain place, his excitement increased tenfold. He finally arrived on his destination, and after he finished talking to the security guard, he drove to the most secluded area of Shidou Academy.

He turned and patted the boy who was sleeping next to him, waking him up. Mio Yoshizawa, now Mio Aizawa, woke up almost immediately, and he almost dropped his flashy red plane toy. Shingyouji merely gestured to someone outside the car, and Mio hurriedly opened the door and jumped out.

Miya Sakamoto, born Miya Yoshizawa, was the one outside the car. She put a small bouquet on the ground where his brother was found, and was so busy with her thoughts that she almost didn't notice that she had an audience. She turned and saw her little brother there, a nervous smile on his face. She rushed towards him and hugged him as tight as she could. She felt even better when Mio's hands circled her body and he was hugging her as well.

After a few moments, they let go of each other and that was when Miya saw her former caretaker. She jumped on him and hugged Shingyouji just as tightly as she hugged her younger brother earlier. Mio slowly joined the hug and they stayed like that for a long time.

Mio was the first one to let go, and after they were done they looked around the wide grounds before their eyes. They saw Michio Yoshizawa and Izumi Takabayashi, standing nearby, wearing the well-known Shidou blazer. Yoshizawa had his arm around Takabayashi's shoulders, and they were both smiling.

Miya and Mio realized it was the happiest smile they'd seen on their older brother since their parents died. They smiled back, and Miya blinked back tears. Shingyouji, who was standing in the middle, embraced them and fought the urge to cry as well. For a short time, it felt like they were back to 2005, with Shingyouji as a student and the two Yoshizawa kids still together.

Takabayashi grinned and waved at them before disappearing, Yoshizawa followed not long after. The Sleeping Beauty might not wake up this time, but he surely got his happy end.

 **FIN.**

* * *

A/N: Whoa. This is even longer than Unalloyed? Never imagined that. Wow. XD

I still don't understand the leader/superordinate in this adaptation of Cold Case, tbh. Motoki is the equivalent of Lt. Stillman, but he's called 'Vice' by Ishikawa (equivalent of Lilly), while the others call him 'Boss'. On the other hand, Ishikawa is called Captain and is referred as 'the one in charge' in the first episode. Hm.

So, for now I leave Motoki's name without any title. Despite that, I really love this remake, and sometimes rewatch it when I have time. I kinda want them to make a whole new episode, but this isn't disappointing either. Watch it, it's awesome.

Hope you enjoyed your read! Credits page will be published shortly.

Reviews are much appreciated! ^^


	13. Credits

A/N: Here you go, the credits page! Maybe you ever wonder why I keep dropping references here and there. Well, the answer is that they're related to the actors who 'portray' them in this story.

This story is an outlet of stress, and mostly written in a rush, so sorry if there are some mistakes. Thanks a lot for reading the story, hope you enjoyed your read as much as I enjoy writing it. Special thanks go to sd4ianto for being such a loyal reviewer. To answer your review for the last chapter, I apparently missed the hint, so I rewrote Chapter 1 for that. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story and the OCs. The songs, characters, and actors aren't mine.

Warning: **Spoilers**!

* * *

 _AS THE BREEZE WHISPERS_

A Cold Case (Japanese Version) x Takumi-kun Series Crossover

* * *

Written by: Seer M. Anno

Flashback: 2005 (11 years ago)

Flashback style: Color

Cause of death: Strangulation (Takabayashi), Stabbed (Yoshizawa)

New lead: Body

Object used: Hands (Takabayashi), Knife (Yoshizawa)

Victims:

Izumi Takabayashi: Yasuka Saito (2005)

Michio Yoshizawa: Wataru Hatano (2005)

Doers:

Daisuke Nozaki: Tetsuya Makita (2005/2016)

Relationship: Senior-Junior

Motive: Silence/Heat of the Moment

Murder type: Murder 1

Confessed: Yes

Status: Locked up

Masaya Nakamura: Takeshi Hayashino (2005/2016)

Relationship: Acquaintances

Motive: Heat of the Moment

Murder type: Murder 1

Confessed: Yes

Status: Locked up

Ghosts: Michio Yoshizawa and Izumi Takabayashi appeared to Kanemitsu Shingyouji, Miya Yoshizawa, and Mio Yoshizawa.

Other Characters:

Miya Yoshizawa (a.k.a. Miya Sakamoto): Hiyori Sakurada (2005), Mikiho Niwa (2016)

Mio Yoshizawa (a.k.a. Mio Aizawa): Keita Ninomiya (2005), Kyousuke Hamao (2016)

Kanemitsu Shingyouji: Bishin Kawasumi (2005), Daisuke Watanabe (2016)

Takumi Hayama: Tomo Yanagishita (2005), Takumi Saito (2016)

Giichi 'Gii' Saki: Keisuke Kato (2005), Gaku Shindo (2016)

Supporting Characters:

Shozou Akaike: Yukihiro Takiguchi (2005)

Arata Misu: Ryouma Baba (2005)

Toshihisa Katakura: Ryo Sakaguchi (2005)

Shingyouji's Classmate: Rio Takahashi (2005)

Songs used:

 **Opening Song:** **'Dark Horse' by 1st Season Higa from Musical Prince of Tennis**

'Willy Wonka Song' from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Japanese Dub)

'My Humps' by The Black Eyed Peas

'I Don't Want To Be' by Gavin DeGraw

 **Closing Song: 'Season'** **by 1st Season Hyoutei A from Musical Prince of Tennis**

In case you haven't known, Micky and Mao played siblings in Goseiger. Micky is actually older but in that show she played the little sister (Gosei Yellow). I reversed their roles here because I wanna make Mio the youngest.

One of my favorite headcanons (that realized here) is that Bishin looks like a younger version of Dai-chan. They can be brothers! :D At first I wanna make older!Shingyouji as Dai-chan in Heat Up Eve #11 (because he looked hella good there :D), but I guess it's better to make him look more like Gii in the 3rd movie.

Also, my headcanon for older!Mio is Mao in Triple Zone #16, hence the glasses and brown, short hair.

(And have I told you that the Shingyouji/Mio hug in Chapter 9 is based _Ano, Hareta Aozora_? Or have you guessed? Not yet? Now it's canon XD)

* * *

So… yeah, this is the end. Hope you like it.

I'll see you in another story!

Love,

Seer M. Anno


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